


Devoti

by bittersweetangstlord, Salt_Queen



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Colony (Voltron), Altean Lotor (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Plot, Porn With Plot, mostly plot though, you get about 1 smut per three chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:07:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 101,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23954332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bittersweetangstlord/pseuds/bittersweetangstlord, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salt_Queen/pseuds/Salt_Queen
Summary: Sendak is a young lieutenant, just trying to do his duty to the Empire. He's one of the best in his fleet at dealing with the threat of Altean pirates, who have been raiding Galra supply lines ever since the war ended when Sendak was very young. So when his commander tells him to go aid a ship currently under attack, Sendak assumes this will be simple and straightforward.He never could've guessed that he would meet his soulmate, nor could he have predicted what would happen afterwards.
Relationships: Altean Merla & Lotor (Voltron), Lotor & Luka (Voltron), Lotor/Sendak (Voltron), Luka & Altean Merla (Voltron)
Comments: 45
Kudos: 91





	1. Arc 1: Meetings

The Altean threat had been plaguing the universe for a long time. Even after Emperor Zarkon destroyed their planet and killed their king, thousands remained, scattered through the universe, and it was the job of loyal Galra to hunt them down and eliminate them, lest they try to retaliate in some way. Already, some esteemed commanders and lowly soldiers alike had been lost to assassins in the night. More would likely perish if the Alteans did not first.

It seemed that much progress had been made. Encounters with Alteans were rare nowadays, and their chaos had been mostly quelled. Only the occasional attack came, stealing supplies and killing any soldier who stood in the way of the deadly Altean pirates. It seemed that one band in particular was responsible for all or most of these, led by an infuriatingly mysterious figure who seemed to slip by Galra security like it was nothing. This pirate group targeted fleets all over the empire completely at random, somehow able to travel vast distances within mere vargas if necessary. They were a small group, but they were elusive and lethal.

When the report came in that these Altean pirates were attacking one of the smaller ships fleet that Sendak had been assigned to, Ranveig's fleet, the commander immediately turned to his young lieutenant. "Take a small team of the best soldiers here and hurry to that ship," he ordered. "The troops there won't be able to stop them without backup."

Sendak put his hand over his chest in salute. “Vrepit Sa, Commander,” he intoned before turning to head to the hangar. On the way, he punched a few commands into his datapad, summoning some of his most competent subordinates to meet him there. 

It wasn’t his first assigned mission, but it was the first one that was proof of the commander’s trust in him. Ranveig wouldn’t send just anyone after the outlaws that had caused the empire so much trouble in the past, and Sendak was determined to prove himself worthy of the assignment. 

After the necessary briefing, he quickly found himself on the shuttle heading towards the compromised ship. It was one of their supply vessels, packed with necessities and, compared to the other ships in the fleet, almost devoid of soldiers. The Alteans had picked their target well, but they hadn’t taken the nearby fleet into account. 

The supply ship drifted aimlessly through space, a dark husk with its power cut off. After splitting the party in three equal groups, Sendak led a team through the corridors, the emergency lighting providing enough visibility to maneuver by. Sentries littered the floor here and there, but there weren’t even scorch marks on them. It was as if they’d just dropped wherever they had stood when the attack happened. Sendak frowned. Sentries were nearly impossible to power down; this scale was unthinkable. The Alteans must have had help of some kind. 

They had to hurry if they wanted a chance to capture and question them, because from the looks of it, they’d already finished here. 

In that moment, they rounded a corner and heard the distinct sound of fighting coming from the direction of the bridge. _Not all gone, then_ , he thought to himself. 

With a few hand gestures he ordered his soldiers to move out. They would bring a stop to this group of pirates today, once and for all.

As the soldiers spread out through the ship, a few started to report back through the comms.

_"I see one over here, trying to sneak through the corridors."_

_"There's another, heading toward the escape pods!"_

The most commotion, however, came from the soldiers trying to get onto the bridge. _"The doors are locked!"_ one reported. 

_"We can't get them- AH!"_ A loud _thud_ came through the line, along with a lot of scuffling and commotion.

Sendak cursed. “What’s going on?”

 _"They suddenly opened the door and rushed out!!"_ one soldier answered frantically. _"We can't hold them here - several have already slipped past us!"_

 _"They're heading toward the hangar!"_ another reported.

Sendak cursed audibly. He hadn’t expected them to be this organized. They were pirates, after all. 

“Cut them off!” he yelled into the comms and began sprinting towards the hangar. “See if you can find a way to block their exits. We cannot allow them to escape!”

He reached the hangar in a matter of seconds and looked around the cavernous space.

Suddenly, there was a movement in the periphery of Sendak's vision, and a dark figure appeared and started sprinting toward another door back into the ship. Something gleamed in their hand - an access chip? - as they rushed past Sendak.

They slammed the chip into the scanner and the door opened immediately, allowing them to dart through before Sendak could catch up to them. As they stepped into the hallway, they glanced back over their shoulder toward Sendak, and their face was obscured by some kind of mask, hiding their features. They then darted off in the complete opposite direction from the bridge, glancing back again as if to ensure that Sendak was following.

Sendak narrowed his eyes. It was a distraction. The person was trying to bait him away from the others. He should focus on someone else, but somehow it intrigued him. The Altean had singled him out as a threat, which made _them_ one if they possessed enough knowledge of the empire to make such a call. The Alteans were far more organized than he’d given them credit for. 

With a few last orders into the comms, telling his soldiers he’d likely found the leader, he dashed after the Altean.

The rebel darted down the hallway, taking a few quick turns, but never quick enough to actually lose Sendak. They seemed to know the ship fairly well — which wasn't saying _much_ , since this was a standard issue ship, but the fact that an Altean was this familiar with a Galra ship at all was surprising.

At one point, however, they tried to go through a door that was truly _locked_ and not just coded to only let Galra pass through. They fumbled with it for a mere tick before abandoning it and taking off running again, but it was enough to let Sendak nearly catch up. At the next corner, they had to slow down ever-so-slightly to turn, which finally gave Sendak the opportunity he needed.

He went into a full sprint and managed to swipe at the pirate’s arm, just as they tried to round the corner, making them slip and tumble to the ground. They looked back at him for a split second before they got up again and made to dart off. Sendak swiped at their legs, but they were too quick, and he only just barely caught their knee as they scrambled to their feet.

The little knick from Sendak’s claws, slight though it was, seemed to have done something. The Altean made to dart away again but released a pained cry as they put weight on the hurt knee, the sound muffled by the mask obscuring their face, and stumbled again. Sendak didn’t waste his opening, quickly darting forward and attacking. He had to bring this rebel in for questioning, so he’d have to incapacitate them somehow.

The Altean landed a few quick punches in Sendak’s side, fast and precise, like someone who’d trained extensively. They were good, but Sendak knew he was better. Perhaps they would’ve been evenly matched under different circumstances, but the Altean had an injured leg and not much room to maneuver. 

Sendak’s next blow sent the rebel’s mask flying off their face, revealing their brown skin and lavender markings. They stared at him from deep blue eyes for a heartbeat before snarling and attacking again with enough ferocity and force to knock Sendak aside and onto his back.

Startled by the sudden show of strength, Sendak was just a fraction of a second too slow to react, and the rebel managed to get up. Sendak rolled over and swiped at their leg again, but the angle was poor, and his claws slid over the hefty material without catching on it as they managed to sprint away. Cursing, Sendak stood up quickly and took off after them.

The Altean slipped around corners just as before, but now Sendak could see the limp in their step, how their knee threatened to buckle as they turned sharply. He could only imagine what kind of pain they must be in, forcing their hurt knee to take so much force. It was only a matter of time now until they wore themself out.

After winding through a few more hallways, they went into the engine room, which had an escape pod hatch attached in case of dire emergency. The rebel dashed in and turned sharply towards the pod, and in that moment, their knee ultimately buckled under the strain, causing them to lose all of their momentum as they tried not to fall.

Without a second thought, Sendak lunged at the rebel, finally pinning them to the wall. He knew that he was lucky; if their injury hadn’t caught up to them then, they very well may have gotten away. He snarled and tightened his grip on the rebel’s arms, taking his first good look at the Altean.

Their features, though delicate, were distinctly masculine, and so was the deep almost-growl of frustration that came from the Altean as he tried and failed to break away from Sendak’s grip. After a couple of attempts, he unexpectedly stopped, and his blue eyes were wide and wild as he looked up at Sendak, panting heavily. Tension hung between them as he held still for a moment — and then he suddenly brought his knee up, aiming for Sendak's stomach where his suit had no armor plates.

Sendak sidestepped the strike, barely, and tightened his grip further as he pinned the rebel’s legs against the wall with his own knees. The Altean tensed up, and his eyes darted around the room in search of any way out.

“Stand down,” Sendak commanded. “It’s over. You’re not getting away.” He looked straight into the Altean’s deep blue eyes to emphasize his point. In a few minutes, his soldiers would arrive and help him apprehend the rebel.

The Altean met his gaze, and his expression changed from determination to poorly-concealed fear.

Then, the lavender markings on his cheeks began to softly glow. The Altean looked at Sendak in bewilderment and no small amount of awe. "It can't..." His low voice carried his disbelief, and he shook his head, still looking into Sendak's eyes.

Sendak’s grip slackened slightly as he stared at the glowing marks in disbelief. He’d heard rumors of what they indicated but... that was impossible. 

Now that the Altean was no longer thrashing, Sendak could scent him, and he nearly took a step back when he did. It was possibly unique to his species, but he smelled divine. He could feel his pupils dilating, and his grip slackened further in shock. 

“You. You’re—” It was unheard of. He was completely speechless.

The Altean just _looked_ at him searchingly for a moment, as if he were trying to decipher what this could mean. Confusion filled his eyes, and he looked... lost.

Then, without any warning, he bared his teeth (fangs?) in sudden fury and wrenched himself out of Sendak's grasp, shoving the Galra away and dashing towards the escape pod. Sendak stumbled into a rack of equipment and looked after him, dumbfounded. 

The Altean ran into the open pod and slammed his hand into the control panel to close the hatch behind him, and he only glanced back for a mere second before the pod launched. His gaze in that briefest of moments was intense, but his expression was otherwise unreadable. And then — he was gone, leaving Sendak staring at a closed hatch and a window through which he could now see nothing but stars and empty space.

Sendak stood rooted to the spot in shock and uncertainty. He must have imagined it, he told himself. _An Altean, his—_ He didn’t finish the thought.

It occurred to Sendak that he should be chasing the man, that he should order his troops to get in the fighters and chase down the pod and any other vessels the Altean pirates were using to get away, but he couldn’t bring himself to. A part of him hoped the man made it back to his compatriots safely, even though he had no right to think such a thing.

* * *

Alone in his room that night, Sendak finally had the space to think. He tried to assess his own feelings, both physical and emotional. He felt tired, certainly, after so much activity. He felt drained and discouraged somehow, like he’d come so close to something important only to have it slip through his fingers, and the loss weighed on him. There was an ache in his chest, a pull that seemed to be trying to draw him in a certain direction, and he didn’t know where it was leading or why.

He had a suspicion, though. He thought back to the man’s amazing scent, and he took a moment to smell his own fur. His own scent was… different from normal. It wasn’t particularly appealing or unappealing to him, but it was definitely not his usual scent and sweat. He could tell just by scent alone that there were far more pheromones in his sweat today, and he could only think of one reason why that could be...

He felt that tug again, pulling him towards something far away, a tether to what felt like the other end of the universe. He wanted to go where it was leading him. Perhaps he would find answers there. He caught himself thinking about the Altean again, the way he stared at him in disbelief, his _scent._ He smelled like… But it was impossible. He was _Altean_ , there was no possible way he could be Sendak’s _korpar._ And yet… he felt that tug, subtle but insistent. 

Even so, what could he do? If he left his post suddenly, he would attract far too much attention to himself and possibly also to the Altean man if that tug led Sendak to him. Although it hurt to ignore it, Sendak didn’t see another choice. Maybe he could find a better option later, but maybe not.

With nothing else he could do about it for the time being, Sendak tried to go to sleep. His mind replayed his meeting with the Altean over and over until he finally managed to pass out.

* * *

Sendak woke abruptly to a soft glow in his room. He was disoriented and groggy from sleep, but something felt different. 

The pull in his chest had lessened, no longer demanding he travel halfway across the universe from what he could tell. It had been replaced by a gentle tug in the direction of the person currently holding a blade to his throat. 

He inhaled sharply, his eyes widening, but he kept perfectly still. One wrong move could open his throat.

The Altean was starting down at him, his unreadable gaze intense even in only the soft light of his glowing marks. His hand shook, causing the knife's edge brushing Sendak's neck to move a little, but it didn't press into his skin.

Several ticks went by with neither moving, but then defeat and resignation washed over the rebel's face. He pulled the knife away a little, still keeping it between them, but it seemed more a defensive measure than an offensive one now. His lips parted as he inhaled to speak, then closed again in clear hesitation. He tried again a couple more times before simply saying, "I can't." His voice shook as much as his hand.

There was so much pain in those two words. Sendak couldn’t bear it. He could smell the Altean, his fear and another scent that made him want to pull him close and never let go, and he knew he had to make this better.

Ever so slowly, he reached out towards the Altean’s hand. His skin warmed when he touched him, as if his instincts were telling him this was _right_. 

Plucking the dagger from his hand, he placed it on the other side of the bed and carefully held the Altean’s hand, gesturing for him to come closer. He could still reach his weapon with little effort, but Sendak doubted he would. 

Sendak wanted to protect him from anything that would harm him, even his pain. Some part of him know it was an irrational instinctive reaction, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “It’s alright,” he said softly. “It’ll be alright.”

The rebel glanced toward the door, looking for a second like he might bolt for it instead, but then he sighed, shoulders slumping, and came closer. He got into the bed, slipping under the covers and settling in next to but not quite touching Sendak.

This close, the soft glow of his marks illuminated them both, and the conflict in his eyes was plain to see. "I don't see how," he replied softly. "You're supposed to kill me."

This close his scent was intoxicating but Sendak tried to focus on his eyes, the way his marks flowed softly.

“I won’t,” he said sincerely. “I’m not sure if I _could_.” He reached out and smoothed a thumb over one of the glowing marks. “You’re my—“ The unspoken word hung between them as if neither dared to say it.

The Altean permitted the gentle touch and even tilted his head into it. He shifted a little closer, leaving very little space between them.

"As long as you're alive, I can't go home." His voice was so quiet, so vulnerable. "I can't risk leading you to my people. But I can't kill you either." He sighed deeply. "I've been looking for my soulmate for _years_. I never pictured something like this."

Sendak’s brow furrowed. It was unthinkable, never returning home. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. There was nothing he could say to contradict him. He knew that someone would eventually find out his soulmate’s whereabouts and that would end up with him dead or worse. Nevertheless, he tried. “I won’t tell them. You have my word. I can’t bear the thought of someone harming you.”

The corners of the Altean’s mouth twitched in an unreadable expression. He took a deep breath, then averted his gaze.

“I’m so sorry—“ It occurred to Sendak that he didn’t even know his name. He looked at him with the question written on his expression.

"Lotor," he answered, eyes meeting Sendak’s again. He gave him a sad smile. "I want to believe you, but even so, I know that the empire's druids can perform Altean alchemy, and there is a way to follow a bond between soulmates. If they find out about us and decide to use you to track me down..." He shook his head.

Reaching one hand out, he lightly cupped the side of Sendak's face. "What is _your_ name?"

“Sendak,” he answered and leaned into the touch. 

It was a cruel trick that fate had played upon them. His instincts screamed that he had to keep Lotor safe and the safest place for him to be was in his arms. It was wrong, of course. Lotor evidently needed no protection, judging by the fact that he’d gotten close enough for an assassination attempt at the center of a Galra command ship, and he couldn’t protect him from his people. 

“You have to go,” he whispered. “If they find you, they’ll torture you and kill you.” He refused to let himself consider the possibilities.

"I know." Lotor sounded so regretful. "I know, but I can't go back either. And..." His voice grew tight as he continued. "And I don't want to leave you, not so soon after finally meeting you properly." It may have been a trick of the light, but his eyes seemed to shine brighter with tears for a moment before he shut them tightly.

His hands drifted to Sendak's shoulders, subtly pulling him closer. "I would offer to try to blend in and integrate with the soldiers here on the ship, but the idea of working for the empire, even to the benefit of my people as an undercover operative, is too sickening. I've managed it for a little while before, but never longer than a couple of quintants."

Logic told him he should make him leave, lock the door behind him so that he had no choice but to go but... He cursed his selfishness as he pulled him closer, a hand on his side. 

“It’s not as bad as you think, once you get used to it.” He’d been recruited at a young age after the death of his parents, so he barely remembered a life outside the imperial military, just that it hadn’t been a place for a child. He’d worked hard to arrive where he was today, and a part of his pride had been hurt at the Altean’s claims. 

“You’re a criminal. Your people steal from us and cause chaos and destruction. Does that not turn your stomach?” His question was spoken softly but there was firmness behind it.

Lotor was silent for a moment, leaning into Sendak and taking away the rest of the space between them. He sighed before finally answering, "If I had been born with purple skin, I am sure I would understand your view. If I had been raised in the empire and had known only the Galra lifestyle and — and _brainwashing_ , then perhaps I would see the Alteans' actions as anarchy... or perhaps I would not. Perhaps I still would have done what I have hoped to do since I was little, what I am still trying to do: Give them a safe haven." He sounded... not judgmental, exactly, but reproachful. Even so, he didn't pull back from Sendak at all, instead continuing to keep him close.

"You seem young enough that I would guess you lack any knowledge of the universe before the Galra expansion began," he continued, sounding thoughtful and perhaps a little distant. "I am as well, but I have heard many stories from older Alteans who remember that golden era of peace. Galra and Alteans once lived side-by-side in peace, to the point where... where some even fell in love with each other." He said this slightly slower, with an extra weight of meaning.

"The circumstances behind why this peace fell apart are complex, to say the least, and no one I have spoken to really knows the entire story. As I understand it, King Alfor of Altea made a mistake that very nearly cost Emperor Zarkon his life and quite literally cost the Galra homeworld. In retaliation for this perceived betrayal, Zarkon destroyed not only King Alfor, but also the planet Altea, and he then proceeded to start hunting down any remaining Alteans he could find, forcing not only soldiers but also innocent civilians to pay for their king's mistake.

His voice hardened, becoming like deadly luxite. " _This_ is why I have no problem stealing from and even killing Galra, despite... despite everything." There it was again, the hesitance of some extra meaning, but then he carried on with the same steely tone as before. "If Zarkon had simply conquered the Altean people and made us subject to him, that would have been a debatable escalation on its own, but he is trying to kill _every last one of us_. Forgive me if I feel justified in inconveniencing him in any way possible."

Sendak frowned. That didn’t sound right. From what he’d heard Altea had destroyed the Galra homeworld in a quest for power and the remaining Alteans still intended to destroy the empire and take it as their own, just as their treacherous King had. 

Sendak had never encountered Altean civilians, and even though he was inclined to believe Lotor, he couldn’t, not when it contradicted everything he knew. 

“I can’t believe you. Not without seeing it for myself.” But maybe a part of him was inclined to take Lotor’s words as truth. He sounded too sincere for it all to be fabricated, and it would explain many of the empire’s rumors surrounding the Druids and secret facilities. 

But it couldn’t be true, could it? The Altean must have been misinformed... or maybe _he_ had been. This was all he’d ever known, and Lotor seemed to have seen so much of the universe.

He could see the grief in his eyes and it made doubt creep into his vision.

Lotor pulled back a little, frowning disapprovingly. "Not without seeing _what_ for yourself, exactly? You said it yourself: If they find me and they realize who and what I am, they will most certainly torture and kill me. Were you not under orders to capture and kill us simply because we were trying to get the materials we needed to survive?

"And if you mean that you want to see our safe haven for yourself to see how badly we need the things we steal..." He huffed in annoyance. "The answer is, obviously, _no_. If I take you there, our leaders will kill you without hesitation, unless you are keen on the idea of being kept locked up there as a prisoner forever. They certainly wouldn't let you leave alive."

Sendak paused to collect his thoughts. “I mean that...” he released a long breath before looking at Lotor again. Just because he’d never seen anything but Altean combatants didn’t mean they didn’t exist. 

He’d never bothered to think about it and he cursed himself for being foolish. The empire had kept the existence of Altean innocents from its citizens, drawing an image of a race of backstabbers and anarchists. As he looked into Lotor’s eyes, all he could see was a person. A person who had gone through endless hardship because of this war, running, hiding. Sendak could nearly picture the way he’d held his breath in the face of an imperial patrol. 

He looked away from the truth in that deep blue gaze like a coward. He nodded, feeling slightly dizzy as the world was knocked out from under his feet. 

Pulling Lotor closer, he drank in his soothing scent. He did believe him, he realized, and ultimately it didn’t matter. He’d keep him safe no matter what side he was on, he knew that in his bones.

Lotor settled in closer, letting his forehead touch Sendak's chest. He stayed quiet for a long moment while Sendak processed everything, and he seemed quite content to rest in Sendak's arms.

At length, he broke the silence again. "There's... something that I should probably tell you sooner rather than later." He hesitated, but then he continued, "I'm only half Altean. I'm... my other parent was Galra."

Sendak froze. Of course. That explained a lot. The fangs, the way his eyes were almost yellow if you looked at them right, and his size. Lotor was tall for an Altean, and his Galra heritage would explain his stature. “I see,” was all he could say as he looked at his face. 

He couldn’t believe he hadn’t made the connection on his own. The fire in his eyes was very Galra, full of passion and a will to fight. It explained his scent as well, the Galra pheromones that enveloped him. 

“You’re beautiful,” he said without thinking.

Lotor chuckled, looking touched and perhaps a little flustered at the compliment. "I'm very glad you think so. Some are a little... put off by my mixed heritage, though I try not to let that bother me." He shrugged.

"In any case, I find you very handsome as well." He ran his fingertips along Sendak's strong jawline. "It is quite nice to have such an attractive soulmate, even if our situation is rather complicated." There was a wistful look in his eyes, as if he were already missing Sendak even though they were still together at the moment.

Sendak smiled sadly at Lotor’s words and leaned into his touch. _Complicated indeed._ He was grossly underselling the situation, in Sendak’s opinion. 

He wished he could just lay here forever and hold Lotor close, let the universe stand still for them. 

There was no reason for him to feel this way, not really. Lotor had tried to kill him twice before he ever shared words with him and yet... yet when he looked at him, he could feel his pain and determination written clearly across his face. 

He’d heard that soulmates could read each other better than others could. Before, he’d dismissed it as rumors, but looking at Lotor had him reevaluating many things.

He knew this might be the only time they’d ever see each other, so he couldn’t bring himself to make Lotor leave just yet, but he knew he should, even as he gently tightened his embrace. 

“You should go,” he repeated, whispering, hoping Lotor wouldn’t hear him, that it wouldn’t be true.

"I know." Lotor buried his face into Sendak's chest, pressing himself as close as possible. "We can... we can meet again sometime, somehow. I could sneak in again and bring you a secure communicator. Then we'd be able to talk and figure out how to meet up."

He pulled back just enough to see Sendak's face, and he gave him a wry smile. "I know it's not ideal, but maybe... maybe we can make this work. At least until we can find some better way, perhaps a way to get you out of here for good and relocate somewhere safe where we could be together."

Sendak cupped his jaw and traced one of the still-glowing marks with his thumb. “I’m not sure your friends would approve of that.”

He looked at Lotor’s face, memorizing his features as if he’d never see him again. It might as well be true. “Besides, I can’t just leave. They’d find me and execute me, likely make an example of me.” A cold shiver ran down his spine at the thought.

Lotor bit his lip, eyebrows pulled together as he considered. "There _are_ people who live outside the empire, including Galra, in the Outer Rim. I have some... connections. They're not trustworthy by any means, and I only deal with them when disguised as a Galra because I fear they would be as likely to enslave an Altean as to help one, but I know how to buy favors from them, and I could set you up with a life out there." He looked into Sendak's eyes, pleading with him.

"I know it isn't fair to ask you to give up everything," he continued, "but it's the only way we could be together. As it stands, I can't risk going home . The only way I could go back to a normal life would be if I killed you now, and I simply cannot do that. But, perhaps, if you were no longer associated with the empire, the risk of accidentally exposing my people would not be as great, and I would be able to at least go back for visits, even if I, most likely, spent the majority of my time with you out on in the Outer Rim."

He sighed heavily, looking away. "I know this is hard, and you don't need to decide anything tonight. Please, let's just -- we can set up a rendezvous point, and I can give you a secure communicator. We can go from there."

Sendak smoothed a hand over Lotor’s silky hair, so different from Galra fur. He nodded. “Alright. I’ll think about it.”

He couldn’t just leave his life behind, never returning home so that his soulmate could. Despite growing up in it, Sendak had no real love for the empire, and now that Lotor insisted they were murdering civilians, his honor called for way out. But even so, he knew what they were contemplating was treason of the highest order, and he couldn’t just make that call, not yet, even though he knew it was the right thing to do. 

Sendak looked at his timepiece and saw that the day cycle would start soon. It would make it a lot harder for Lotor to slip out undetected. With one last embrace he whispered: “Go. Please.”

Lotor closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. He looked troubled, but he nodded. "Meet me in two nights on observation deck Sigma just after curfew for the regular soldiers. I will not linger there, but this should be the easiest way to give you the communicator."

Opening his eyes again, he looked first into Sendak's eyes before his gaze traveled down to his lips. With one hand cupping Sendak's cheek, he slowly moved forward for a kiss, giving Sendak time to pull back before Lotor's soft lips brushed his.

Sendak didn’t pull back, leaning forward as well to capture Lotor’s lips in his. 

It was a tentative kiss, full of uncertainty and hesitation, but soft and gentle and possibly even hopeful. He pressed their foreheads together afterwards, holding Lotor for a second longer before releasing him with a final gentle touch to his mesmerizing glowing marks before withdrawing entirely. “Until then.” He could barely hear his own voice.

"Until then," Lotor echoed softly. He took the knife as he gracefully stood up. The marks on his cheeks were already fading a little, and he put up a mask that hid them entirely before slipping away into the shadows, never opening Sendak's door but somehow disappearing all the same.


	2. Chapter 2

The two days passed at a creeping pace, full of monotonous tasks and senseless repetition. 

When it was time to meet Lotor, Sendak was ready to seek him out himself out of sheer boredom. Arriving on the observation deck, he noticed that there were others milling about and that Lotor likely wouldn’t show up unless they were alone, so he picked a spot and looked out at the stars, waiting long enough for doubt to creep into his mind.

The others on the deck all filtered out slowly, leaving only Sendak and one soldier who was on the side of the room. He was still wearing his helmet, and he looked like he might have fallen asleep. He'd been there for quite a while.

Then, a little while after everyone else had left, the soldier stood and meandered up toward the window. "Mind if I join you?" he asked in a low, smooth, and all-too-familiar voice. He pulled off the helmet to reveal purple skin and solid yellow eyes, but he had the same delicate features that Sendak had seen and felt before.

Sendak’s eyes widened in surprise but he quickly caught himself and looked back out at the stars. 

Lotor’s camouflage abilities were impressive, especially the way he could just stand around imitating a soldier without being noticed. 

“Go ahead,” he said, gesturing to the space next to him.

"Thank you." Lotor stepped up next to him, looking out at the stars beyond. They stood in silence, and Lotor seemed content for them to stay that way for a long moment.

Then, breaking the silence, Lotor asked casually, "Where is the fleet heading next, Lieutenant? If it is not too impertinent of me to ask, of course."

Sendak smiled. “We’re headed to the Tanxite quadrant,” he said. “We mean to restock and head back out as soon as possible.” The empire’s front lines must be mobile at a moment’s notice, after all. “The usual,” he said casually. Nothing to be concerned about, but he knew Lotor was listening closely.

"Ah, yes, very good. It will be nice to have a few days without any action or any incidents." Lotor's voice sounded casual, like he was simply saying a meaningless platitude, but there was a slight undercurrent of meaning.

Shifting his position slightly closer to Sendak, he held out a small and very old-fashioned communicator. "Be careful," he murmured under his breath. "Wait a little while after I leave before you do."

Sendak pocketed the small device and spared a glance in Lotor’s direction. He knew he shouldn’t say anything, but the thought of Lotor getting hurt again far outweighed his loyalty for the empire. 

“There will be increased security measures while the fleet restocks. It would do well to prepare for such things. We will likely be assigned to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

He placed a hand over his chest in salute and turned back to look out at the passing stars.

Lotor nodded in acknowledgment and returned the salute. "Indeed. Rest well, sir."

He put the helmet back on and turned away, heading out of the observation deck.

Sendak waited for an appropriate amount of time before turning to leave the observation deck and heading back to his quarters. He was eager to examine the strange device, so he walked briskly.

In the privacy of his room he pulled out the communicator and examined it more closely, finding that it was older than he'd previously thought. He turned it over a few times before turning it on.

After a few seconds, he was rewarded by a brightening display, revealing a fairly modern-looking software. Certainly more modern than the outside suggested. 

The datapad had nothing on it, save for a file titled "Please_Read" and a single saved comm signature.

Opening up the file first, Sendak read:

_My dear,_

_This device, though it is disguised as a standard communicator, uses Altean technology to be able to reach anywhere in the universe. Its signals are entirely undetectable by Galra technology, but be careful to not activate it near any of the druids or their devices._

_I will do my best to steer future raids away from your fleet. I do not want to force either of us into a situation where we may have to hurt one another. My control over the raid parties' choices, however, is currently rather tenuous due to my avoidance of returning to our safe haven. I cannot guarantee that your fleet will never be targeted again, but, if so, I will almost certainly not be present for it, and if I am aware of the attack, I will try to personally give you a warning so that you may be able to reduce your involvement._

_I am not sure how much you know about Altean soulmates. The bond between us is empathetic, allowing us to feel echoes of each other's pain, both physical and emotional. If one of us dies, the other will be very negatively affected. Though it is not unheard of, information is limited about cross-species soulmates, so I do not know if the bond could kill you if I die, but it is quite possible that it could do so to me if I do not have any Altean alchemists around who can help at the time of your death. Please, for both our sakes, use caution, and I will try to do the same._

_I feel this is where I should attempt to reassure you and tell you everything will be okay. The gods know I've had enough practice at that with encouraging scared young Alteans going out on their first raid mission. But I have no assurances for you, nothing except the promise that I will do everything in my power to find a way for us to both live safely and happily, either together or apart._

_That said, for now, I would like to find a way to meet again soon. There is a swap meet center near where your fleet appears to be heading — resupplying, I would guess, and I may have already found a way to ask by the time you read this — so if you have any free time and a good excuse to go shopping, that would be a fortuitously easy place to meet. Let me know, and I will arrange something._

_May the stars shine upon our fates,_

_Lotor_

Sendak read it carefully, imaging Lotor sitting next to him and explaining it himself, and then he read it a second and third time.

He could already recognize Lotor’s way of speaking within the text, imagining his rich voice saying the words. 

He hadn’t known most of the things about their bond that Lotor spoke of, but it would certainly explain his deep empathy concerning him. They’d both have to be careful, it seemed, but somehow the thought of dying when Lotor did didn’t frighten him the way it probably should. 

The device was quite impressive according to Lotor’s claims, which he didn’t doubt. There was only one thing left to do now. Sendak opened the comm link and typed in a quick message: _I hope you made it out safely. I will find a way to meet with you as soon as my posting allows it._ He nearly hit send before he was even finished typing in his eagerness. For a little while, there was no response, but after about 10 doboshes, a reply came in.

_I made it out without discovery, and I am on my way to a secure hideout. Please keep me updated. Perhaps it is unwise, but I am already terribly fond of you, and I hope to see you again soon._

Sendak couldn’t keep the small smile from his face. He typed a quick response. _I will. The feeling is certainly mutual._

The fleet would resupply as soon as it arrived at the base, which would take no more than a day and the fleet would rest up for at least a week. He’d have enough time to borrow a shuttle and meet Lotor. He told him as much, typing it into the comm unit.

Lotor's reply was much more rapid this time.

_Excellent. Just tell me the date and time well in advance, and I will be there. There's a flower shop that will be a safe meeting place. I know the owner quite well. Until then, take care._

_Until then,_ he replied. _Take care._

He shut the communicator off just to be safe and undressed for bed. It took him a long time to fall asleep as he contemplated what fate had decided to get him into, smiling to himself.

* * *

The fleet’s stay at the supply base was as uneventful as Lotor had promised it would be. He’d received notice of his leisure time a while ago and had informed Lotor of the date immediately. When it was time he took a shuttle under the pretense that he was merely getting some things from the market and casually made his way to the flower shop Lotor had pointed out.

The shop was small and charming, filled with all sorts of flowers, and there were other decorations here and there to accent the flowers and to give the whole place a rather home-like atmosphere. The only person present in the storefront was a clerk behind the counter. She appeared to be feminine, and she was from a species that was neither Galra nor Unilu, something that Sendak couldn't quite place off the top of his head.

She smiled at him warmly as he entered. "Welcome to my shop! How may I help you? Are you looking for any particular kinds of floral arrangements?"

Sendak looked at the owner for a few seconds before speaking. “I’m... actually here to meet someone. A friend of yours, I think?” He realized how stupid that sounded when he said it aloud, but he didn’t know what else to do other than stand here and wait. “He told me to meet him here.”

"I see." A knowing smile spread across her face. "Give me one moment."

She opened a panel of the wall behind her that was apparently a semi-hidden door and stepped through, leaving Sendak alone for a few moments. Finally, she returned, still smiling. "Come on back. Your _friend_ is waiting."

Through the door, there was what looked like a standard stock room full of flowers of several varieties. The store owner led Sendak right past all that to a small closet. The back of the closet looked like a solid wall, but it was apparently just a hologram, as the woman walked right through it without any issue.

On the other side, there was a smaller stockroom, still full of various herbs, but many of these were dried or contained in vials. There was a table in the middle of the room, and Lotor sat at it, looking to be his usual Altean self. He gave Sendak a warm and painfully fond smile. Sendak thanked the owner with a polite nod and smiled back at Lotor as he sat at the table close to him. 

“Quite the establishment,” he teased. He’d known there had to be something strange about the shop if Lotor wanted to meet here but he hadn’t expected it to go so far back. He’d never been in contact with... whatever this was, and he was in awe that a flower shop, of all places, would be a hub for illegal activities. 

“How do you know this person?”

Lotor chuckled and motioned for Sendak to sit in the chair next to him. "Come, rest. Try not to touch the herbs or vials. I imagine you need to be sober enough to fly back on your own after this."

He sat back as he explained. "I was in a rather desperate situation, trying to hide from some Galra who were tracking me. I offered her one of the Altean plants that I was transporting at the time in exchange for her helping me to hide. Since then, I have supplied her with a few rare plants here and there in exchange for favors. She's a lovely person, really, and she has connections to a whole underground network, which has been very useful to me in my various expeditions." As he spoke, he casually rested his hand on the table where Sendak could easily reach it.

Sendak placed his hand over Lotor’s at the invitation and squeezed gently. “I’m glad you’re alright.” His voice was quieter than his usual speaking voice but it felt appropriate. “Have you managed to have any contact with your—“ he didn’t really know what to call the other Alteans but he assumed they meant a lot to Lotor. “Your family?” He felt terrible for being the reason Lotor couldn’t return home but he agreed it was for the best.

Lotor nodded, giving Sendak a sad smile. "Indeed. I have similar communicators to be able to reach them with, and I've even still led another raid mission since the last time I saw you, but it is difficult to have to be away from home like this."

He sighed, staring at the opposite wall. "I wish you could see it. It's so beautiful, now that we've put the work into terraforming it and building a small city there." Shaking his head, he forced a smile. "Maybe someday, if I manage to get the others to warm up to the idea. For now, there's no point in dwelling on that."

Placing his other hand over Sendak's, he squeezed it lightly as he leaned over enough to bump Sendak's shoulder with his own. "How have you been? I imagine this is no less stressful for you."

“I’ve been fine. It’s strange, really, I haven’t known you for very long at all and yet I feel as if I know you very well. Much more than any of the people I’ve spent most of my life with.” He shook his head. “It’s not what you must feel, the constant fear you’ll be discovered, it’s more that I don’t know much about how this bond works and I fear someone might discover it.”

He leaned into Lotor’s side, wanting to be as close as possible. “It’s different for Galra. We have more of a _compatibility_ that is just as rare as Altean bonds. I’d guess your heritage is what allowed us to have both the effects simultaneously because I feel your pain, which is not typical in Galra, but I can also barely think straight because of your—“ he cut himself off. It wasn’t something one talked about, not really. “Your scent,” he finished evasively.

"Ahh..." Lotor scooted his chair closer to Sendak's and rested his head on Sendak's shoulder, leaning into him even more. "So is _that_ why your scent is so intoxicating? I figured it had something to do with our bond and my mixed heritage, but I know so painfully little about Galra biology that I couldn't do anything more than hypothesize."

He pulled their joined hands into their laps, running one thumb lightly over the back of Sendak's hand. "I find it quite ludicrous how attracted I already am to you. I just want to whisk you away from your old life and keep you someplace safe where we can be alone together." He sighed wistfully, and, this close together, it was quite easy for Sendak to feel the echoes of Lotor's conflicted emotions and deep longing.

"You really _could_ build a life out here," he ventured, though he didn't sound very hopeful. "Trade a few drugs, steal some weapons here and there, track down and cash in on a few bounties... There _are_ former imperial officers in the criminal sector, and they tend to do quite well. You could pick and choose what you were willing to do, and you could draw boundaries and stick to them if that would make you more comfortable." He squeezed Sendak's hand again in a sympathetic manner. "I know 'criminals' may sound scary, but you're sitting with a pirate in the supply room of a drug dealer. I think you'd find that there are many of us who are far more normal and reasonable people than you think."

Sendak looked at their joined hands and marveled at how much smaller than his Lotor’s were. 

“It’s not that I’m scared, although this is rather intimidating, admittedly, it’s that they’d find me. I’m sure that some officers manage a life out here and manage to hide well enough that the empire doesn’t bother with them but—“ 

Sendak sighed. “Commander Ranveig is ruthless, and I’ve been working closely with him. He’d notice if I went missing and then the sector would be crawling with sentries before long, and they would find me sooner rather than later. Maybe we can find a way but I can’t just _leave_. It’ll complicate everything significantly.”

Lotor frowned, tightening his grip on Sendak's hand. "If only I could get approval to bring you back to our haven, just for a little while to lie low..." He sighed deeply. "Maybe I can repurpose one of our old hiding spots… I know of one that would be more than secure enough, but it is _terribly_ far out of the way from here. We’d have to evade detection for at least two day-cycles before we reached it, and there’s too much that could go wrong in that much time without any places to hide or throw off pursuit."

With a despairing groan, Lotor turned his body toward Sendak's and buried his face in his neck. "I'll think of something, I _will_ ," he murmured. "But for now... I just want you to hold me."

Sendak was startled by the sudden contact. It was strange, the casual manner in which Lotor touched him, but it was welcome as well. It felt right and... nice. He wrapped his arms around Lotor’s frame, breathing in his calming scent. 

“You don’t have to worry about me, alright? Take care of yourself and I’ll be fine. Nobody has any reason to suspect anything is amiss.” He kissed the top of Lotor’s head and combed his fingers through his impossibly silky hair. “I just want you to be safe.”

Lotor sighed and melted into Sendak's embrace, shifting himself into a more comfortable position. "I'm sure you mean it. I'm just concerned about the long run. If someone _does_ suspect something and uses you against me..." He fell silent, letting Sendak hold and soothe him. He laid one arm across Sendak's abdomen, holding him in return.

Sendak stroked Lotor’s back gently and held him closer. “Is there a way they _could_ find out about it? Forgive me; I know nothing about Altean soul bonds, and I don’t want to put you in danger, but I don’t know how not to do that. Can the Druids sense them?” The masked creatures were incredibly unsettling.

Lotor hummed neutrally. "Only if they're examining you closely, such as if they're interrogating you. As far as I know, such bonds are not exactly readily apparent, so as long as they have no reason to question you, we should be alright." He didn't exactly sound confident in his assessment.

"I suppose my main worry is that the longer you spend there, the more likely it is that something may go wrong. Perhaps they might question you for something entirely unrelated and end up finding the bond regardless. Perhaps _I_ may end up captured through no fault of your own and then the druids detect the bond and choose to punish you simply by association." He clung to Sendak a little bit tighter. "But I won't pressure you to try to leave before we've figured out a good plan for it. I just hope that when I _do_ have a plan in place, you'll be willing to come with me...?" He looked up into Sendak's eyes, pleading with him.

The prospect was exhilarating and terrifying, and Sendak knew that if Lotor proposed a way for Sendak to join him without risk to his own safety, he would go with him in a heartbeat. “Yes. Without a doubt. I just couldn’t bear the thought of you getting hurt because of me and I will not allow it to happen. Please, Lotor.”

"Then I'll find a way," Lotor said firmly, sounding more confident than he had at any point until then. "Somehow, I'll figure out how we can be together, no matter what it takes."

His gaze drifted from Sendak's eyes to his lips, and he parted his own lips slightly as he tilted his head up in an invitation.

Lotor’s lips were so supple, even from a distance, and he couldn’t resist their touch. He kissed him, full of longing and desperation and a profound desire to weather this storm, to be able to be together in some distant future where fate was not against them and they could just _be_. 

When their lips parted, Sendak kept holding him close, as if a mere breath would make him disappear.

Lotor started to purr softly, settling back into Sendak's embrace and relaxing there.

Silence stretched between them for a moment until Lotor said softly, "Tell me more about yourself. I feel like I understand you on such an intimate level already, but I hardly know anything about you. What was your youth like? How did you become a lieutenant?"

“It’s strange, isn’t it? To understand the most intimate parts of a person and yet not know their favorite color. I thought I was the only one of us who felt this way but apparently I’m not.” He smiled softly. 

“My parents died when I was very young and I got taken in by the military. The emperor—” Sendak faltered slightly. “He saw potential in me and he wanted to take me as his heir if I managed to rise through the ranks. And so I did. I made it to lieutenant under commander Ranveig, and I suppose it won’t be long until I make commander myself.”

It no longer brought him joy to admit these things. “What about you? Have you always been a pirate?”

"In a way, I suppose." Lotor shrugged lightly. "The story they told me goes that apparently a Galra nurse somehow tracked down one of the hidden cells of Alteans. She brought no weapons, and she promised them she would not reveal them or turn them in. All she asked was that they would take care of the child she had brought with her. The Alteans there were shocked to see that the baby looked almost completely Altean, and they asked her who the child's parents were. She seemed to know, but she absolutely refused to tell. She only told them the name the parents — _my_ parents — had chosen. And then she left with no further explanation, and she apparently kept true to her word, because that cell was never discovered.

"A few decaphoebs later, the various cells started to seek each other out and combine when possible, so even my earliest memories are from being in more secure locations with many Alteans, including children not much older than me. There are very few children directly younger than me, as many avoided having children during those early and hardest years of fighting, but since we've found more secure havens, there are some very young children again now." A soft smile graced his face, and his voice softened as he reminisced.

"I was always a bit different as a child. I took a great interest in any stolen bits of Galra technology that the raiders brought back, and since I was the only one who could operate many of those devices properly, they usually let me play with them. I found ways to recombine them and make new little devices and interesting things, and my caretakers told me I'd be an inventor or engineer one day."

The smile slipped, and his tone of voice shifted back into something a little more thoughtful, a little more... sad. "As I got into my teen years, however, some of the raiders realized that my status as a half-Galra would make me uniquely qualified to help them, so the raid leader and coordinator, Faela, took me on as an apprentice. It's... it's very dangerous work, not something that a teenager should be doing under normal circumstances, but for us, it was a matter of survival. I watched many of those who trained me die one by one, and those of us who are left are all relatively young aside from Faela, who only very rarely goes out on missions herself these days. She has appointed me the field leader for raids, and she has allowed me to do many very dangerous solo missions — all at my own request, of course. She cares about me and fears for my safety too much to ask me to do anything too dangerous.

“Some of the people regard me as a... a hero, I suppose. They're— most of them are extremely grateful for the work I've done in trying to make them safe and prosperous." It stood out plain as day how he corrected himself to clarify that only _most_ felt that way, and his expression darkened further. "Even so, I feel like I still haven't done enough. I have no way to repay them for taking me in and raising me even when they didn't need to, even when they could hardly afford to care for and hide a baby, especially a half-Galra baby. I..." He sighed, looking distant. "I feel like I have a debt to them I could never repay, no matter how often I risk my life for them.

Sendak hadn’t expected him to be so open about it, but he was glad for it. “I’m very sure they would disagree. They sound like they care a great deal about you and wouldn’t want you to think that.” He cupped Lotor’s jaw and looked into his deep blue eyes. “They wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

Lotor’s marks were indistinguishable from the surrounding skin going by touch alone, but Sendak traced them nonetheless. “Your nurse was incredibly brave,” Sendak continued. “She risked her life to save yours many times over with her actions, although it is a bit strange that she wouldn’t say who your parents were. Rumors say that it wasn’t uncommon before the war for Galra and Alteans to live peacefully together.” He’d taken to listening to most of the whispers the military tried to silence now, no longer dismissing them as he’d done before. It was painful to consider but... “There must have been many children, but I’ve never seen a half-Altean before.” The way Lotor had talked about himself, he hadn’t either, and Sendak didn’t want to think about the implications. 

“I’m so sorry.” He didn’t know what else to say.

Lotor placed his hand over Sendak's and tilted his head into the touch. "Please, do not blame yourself. You were born into a system that had already been corrupted, and you had no reason to question it until now. I do not blame you for anything you may have done in the past, and you cannot take on the guilt of the Galra people."

He gently pulled Sendak's hand away only to interlock their fingers together, and he pressed gentle kisses to Sendak's knuckles. " _Devoti_..." He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I know that you are... you’re _mostly_ right. There are a few, however, who were from different cells and did not meet me until I was nearly an adult, and some of them fear me and see me as a monster. Faela has been somewhat vague about the opinions of the haven's leadership on our situation, but from what she has told me, their opinions are very negative, and I am not surprised. The Speaker for the Council, a harsh woman named Hira, has never liked... _impurity_."

Sendak tightened his grip on Lotor’s hand. “ _Impurity?_ ”

Galra hybrids were reviled in the empire, but he never thought that the same might be true for Altean hybrids. Lotor had to contend with each of his people wanting his other half dead, and he couldn’t imagine what that must feel like. 

“I’m sorry for being the cause of conflict in your home. I know it’s selfish and I know this will only bring us more complications as time progresses but... I can’t help but be glad I met you, that it’s _you_.”

Lotor squeezed his hand gently. "Hira is more of an exception, not the rule. Most of the Alteans are very welcoming of me, and there are a couple who have mixed blood of other races." He shrugged a little. "It is simply rather unfortunate that someone like Hira ended up with so much power and influence in our tiny haven."

He looked up into Sendak's eyes and gave him a small, reassuring smile. "I'm very glad to have you as well. This whole situation has made me rethink how I see myself. Many of the people I know see Galra as terrifying, heartless monsters, but you're not." He paused for a moment. "I mean, you _were_ rather terrifying at first, but not anymore."

Sendak smiled at him. “I apologize for our first meeting, and I’m glad we can move past it.”

He held Lotor’s hands tighter, not wanting to let go yet. “I suppose we should enjoy the time we have left here together. I want to know more about you. You said you wanted to be an engineer?” He met Lotor’s gaze. “Tell me about the things you’d build.”

Lotor chuckled, returning his smile. "Of course." He held Sendak's gaze, smiling softly. "I have built a few things, or at least, I have modified things to suit my needs. Under my former mentor’s guidance, I have found ways to make ships faster, built shields to hide bases, and I am even working on a generator to try to create a folded space effect, though I'm afraid I currently don't have the technology and materials available to me for that." He shrugged modestly. "Of course, I do not have so much time for that lately since becoming the field leader of the raid missions. That also… coincided with my mentor’s death.” His expression darkened. “I’ve continued to experiment and discover what I could do on my own even without her guidance, but I haven't done anything at all of that sort since meeting you. Perhaps, once we've found a more permanent solution, I can go back to tinkering in my spare time."

Lotor’s voice seemed to fill with joy as he talked about the things he’d made and Sendak realized he could listen to him talk for hours. The things he’d built were already impressive, and he could only wonder what Lotor might manage to do with more resources. 

Sendak released Lotor’s hand to remove the old datapad from his pocket. “I have something for you. It might help you, and I guarantee it’ll make both of us sleep better if you make use of it.” He pressed a button and transferred a set of files to Lotor’s datapad. 

“They’re troop movements, and I managed this morning to acquire our fleet’s patrol schedules for the next phoeb. I trust that you will have an easier time avoiding them with it.” He paused, swallowing. “And I know that the empire has taken everything from you and your people, but most of the soldiers are conscripted. Brainwashed, likely. What I’m saying is that perhaps we should minimize casualties on both sides of the war.”

He returned to holding Lotor’s hands gently. “I know you act in self defense and I understand. You’re right to do so. But I could help your raid parties possibly avoid most of the conflict altogether. There will always be casualties, but I might be able to pick out easy targets for you.”

Lotor's eyes widened, and his lips parted in surprise and wonder as Sendak's words sank in. "I... ah, thank you. Thank you so much. This will be immensely helpful." A smile of relief lit up his face. "If we can plan to avoid direct confrontation as much as possible, that will reduce the risk to my people as well as the damages against yours."

He lightly ran his thumbs along the back of Sendak's hands, looking a little more thoughtful now, and he looked down at their hands instead of meeting Sendak's gaze. "Avoiding some of the destruction we tend to cause will be a relief to me. I have never enjoyed the act of killing. Perhaps it is because I know, deep down, that I am not so different from the Galra we have to fight, that I share my blood with them and any of them could be my kin. And on the last mission, just a couple of days ago, I couldn't help but wonder if any of the soldiers I came across were perhaps people _you_ knew and cared about. I would hate to be responsible for the death of one of your friends."

Sendak nodded in understanding. “They’re your people too. I will not deny you parts of your heritage. It is just as much yours to claim as it is mine. They are _our_ people, Lotor, just as much as the Alteans are yours.”

He cleared his throat. “But if you are in danger you cannot hesitate to defend yourself. Thoughts like those will only cloud your judgement and get you killed. Our people may be saved from the tyranny of the empire, but putting yourself at risk will not help anyone.“

"Of course." Lotor leaned into Sendak's side again, eliminating the space between them. "I always calculate my risks carefully, and I do not disregard the value of my own life. If I were really at risk of being killed unless I killed first, I would not hesitate, even if I knew the other person was one of your friends or kin. I just hope I never have to face the inevitable guilt afterwards that would come with that."

Squeezing Sendak's hands a little tighter, he quietly admitted, "It's easier not to think of them as my people too. When I do admit that to myself, I feel so guilty. I know I have only done what I needed to in order to keep my people safe, but I still feel guilt when I think about how much Galra blood I have spilled." He pulled his head back enough to look Sendak in the eyes again. "Have you ever...?"

“Have I ever killed one of your people?” Sendak finished the question. He was unable to meet Lotor’s eyes so he looked away and nodded. “Yes. Yes I have. I was a young soldier assigned to guard duty. Nothing should have happened, it was an unremarkable spot, but I think one of the raiders must’ve gotten lost or thought it would be a shortcut... I don’t know. He saw me and I saw him and we both shot instinctively.” He shook his head. “Other than that, there wasn’t anything. I have a good mind for strategy, so the empire employed me elsewhere.”

Lotor nodded in acceptance. "You did what you had to. Whoever that was, they would have killed you if you'd hesitated. It's simply unfortunate that this conflict is going on at all."

“It is indeed.” Sendak never thought he’d end up thinking as much, but it was the truth.

Lotor nodded and ran his thumb absently back and forth over the back of Sendak's hand, seeming a little distant and thoughtful.

Sendak leaned into him, enjoying his presence, and squeezed his hand gently. “What are you thinking of?” He didn’t want Lotor to be upset, whatever the reason. His chest tightened at the sight. “Anything I can help with?”

"Mmm? Oh." Lotor squeezed Sendak's hand in return. "I was just... I don't even want to begin to try to count the number of deaths on my hands. And yet, as an exercise in morbid curiosity, I was starting to count up how many missions I could remember, to average about how many kills I had to make in order to complete them successfully..."

He shook his head. "It's a number I really should not try to discover. It would only haunt me if I did. I'm sure it's... too many. Far too many for my conscience to bear. For my own sanity, I have to focus instead on the lives of the Alteans that I've helped to save, on how many of us there are left and how vital these raids are to keeping that remnant safe and secure."

Sendak drew Lotor’s hands up and kissed his knuckles. “You had to, in order to survive. I may only directly have one Altean life in my conscience, but I’m certain my orders and strategies brought about the death of many others. We both have blood on our hands.”

He looked into Lotor’s beautiful eyes, the deep blue of them shining with some inner light. “Nothing we do will bring them back, but we can try to do better. Maybe someday our people will know peace.”

"You're right." Lotor's expression softened, and though his eyes still held grief, he offered Sendak a slight smile. "I do hope for that future one day. In the meantime, I know the haven is working to become self-sufficient, so we will eventually be able to stop the raids, though it will be a while until we get to that point.

"In the meantime..." He moved one hand to the side of Sendak's head and gently held it as he looked up into his eyes. "I am so glad to finally have you. I had honestly begun to think that maybe I didn't have a soulmate, maybe I couldn't because of my mixed blood. I can see now why fate put me with you."

Sendak put his hand over Lotor’s and leaned into the touch. “I never would have questioned the universe we live in were it not for you.”

He smiled. “I’ve never actually thought about the possibility of a... soul bonded. The Galra call people like us _korpares_. It’s extremely rare, and very few Galra actually meet their _korpar_ in their lifetime. It means “those of the same heart” and is used very sparingly. The stories always said that you’d take one look at each other and know. I never believed it until I met you.”

“The Galra are a very passionate people. Everything we do is ruled by emotion and fire. To give one’s heart is a very special thing, sacred, so _korpares_ may never be separated according to tradition, no matter external factors and conflicts. It is the most sacred bond we have.” He planted a kiss to Lotor’s palm. “The empire is straying from the Galra way, I see that now. What is it like for you? Are there many of... us?”

Lotor thought about it for a moment. "When talking about them in general, we refer to them as soulmates, but an Altean calls their own soulmate ' _Devoti_ ,' which means 'destined one.' The Altean bond between soulmates is one which has been proven by Altean Alchemy to link together the very essence of the two people. That is why our marks glow when we meet — the innate energy in us resonates with our partner. For us, too, this bond is considered sacred above all else and surpassing all other ties of love and loyalty.

"It is generally accepted that at least most Alteans have soulmates, though some may never meet theirs due to geographic constraints or because one may have died before they could meet. From what I understand, however, many Alteans _did_ meet their soulmate, back before the war broke out. Now, there are only a few soulmate pairs in our haven, as most have lost their destined partners."

Sendak released a slow breath. “I’m sorry to hear that. I suppose we’re very lucky to have met.” 

His expression fell as he contemplated their situation. “Even though both our people consider our bond sacred... I doubt it would stop them from executing either of us.”

He pressed a kiss to Lotor’s forehead. “We’ll find a way,” he said, though he didn’t fully believe it himself.

Lotor bit his lip and nodded. "Honestly, my guess is that most of the Alteans are taking the news rather well, but with Hira in power..." He sighed heavily. "It's fine. I just have to figure out another solution."

He leaned heavily into Sendak. "We're running out of time." His voice was sad and resigned. "If you stay out for much longer, it may look suspicious, and you really should go around and shop and buy some things from a few different stores before you head back."

Sendak sighed. He knew Lotor was right, but a part of him had hoped that time would stop if they didn’t acknowledge its passing. 

“You’re right. I will.” He leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to Lotor’s lips. “When can I see you again?”

Lotor stole another kiss before he answered. "Whenever you think you can. I will fit my plans around your schedule. If you do not usually leave the ship that often, though, you shouldn't do it again too soon." He traced his fingertips over Sendak's cheekbone and jawline, as if trying to memorize his face.

Sendak traced Lotor’s marks and combed his fingers through his hair, still fascinated by the texture. 

“I know you’re right but I wish you weren’t,” he said sadly. 

With a last kiss to Lotor’s cheek, right on top of his mark, Sendak stood but stayed rooted to the spot. Everything was screaming at him not to leave, to take Lotor in his arms and never let go, but he couldn’t.

"Go," Lotor urged him gently, giving him a sad and yet deeply affectionate smile. "Secrecy is paramount. We will see each other again soon, I promise."

A hint of a suggestion played into his voice and smile as he added, "And when we do meet again, perhaps I can find us a more _private_ meeting place, if you would like?" He raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "You can think it over and give me your answer on the communicator if you are unsure. I simply wanted to suggest it to give you something to ponder and perhaps look forward to next time."

Sendak’s eyes widened. He’d been thinking about it as well. He wanted to kiss Lotor and undress him and run exploratory fingers over his soft skin but he hadn’t wanted to suggest it yet. 

“I’d... like that,” he said cautiously. “I’d like it very much.”

He bent down and pressed one last kiss to Lotor’s knuckles. “Until then, _korpar_.” 

Lotor smirked, though there was a hint of longing behind it. "I'll make the arrangements. Until then, _devoti_."

Sendak didn’t allow himself to linger because he knew he would have stayed in the end so he turned and walked out of the hidden room. 

He purchased a small plant on his way out to avoid suspicion and did the same in a few other stores. Once he was satisfied he had enough things to justify his trip, he returned to his shuttle and dutifully made his way back to the rest of the fleet, his mind on the bond, on the distance he could feel expanding between them.


	3. Chapter 3

A few days passed. They exchanged messages back and forth, but Lotor seemed wary of idle chatter, so they were mostly brief status updates. Finally, three nights before the fleet was set to head out, Lotor sent a more substantial message.

_Can you make tomorrow evening work? I can get a room up to all night, though I'm not sure if that would look too suspicious compared to your usual behavior. But if going out for a drink is not too unusual for you, we could meet at a club and "happen" to slip away together for as long as you feel it would be safe to do so. Let me know._

Sendak replied as soon as he got the chance. 

_Yes, that sounds perfect. I doubt anyone would notice as the fleet leaves soon and everyone is putting the last of their free time to good use. It sounds like an excellent plan. When exactly do you want to meet?_

The response came a little bit later, but finally Lotor answered:

_Let's meet around 18:00 vargas. I'll be there a little earlier, so it won't matter if you get there early. I'll be purple again. Don't engage with me right away when you get there. Here's the map data for the location of the club._

There was an attached file with the data necessary to put into a communicator's map program, and there was also a small visual map of the area so that Sendak could simply go there without navigation assistance if he wanted.

It struck him again how professional Lotor was, how organized. He’d led covert operations for years, and it shone through in moments like these. 

He smiled and typed in his response. _I’m sure you’ll be beautiful. I can hardly wait. I’ll see you there,_ korpar _._

He smiled to himself. He couldn’t wait, if he was being honest with himself. He never would have suggested it but he was extremely happy that Lotor did. It would be nice to have some private time together. 

The next day moved at a creeping pace, as was familiar now every time he met with Lotor. Finally, the time came for him to leave. 

He found his way to the club easily with Lotor’s provided map, as he’d rather leave his navigation assistance off for the time being. He made his way to the bar and ordered a drink, casually looking around for Lotor.

Lotor was on the other side of the club, looking mildly bored as some guy apparently tried to chat him up, judging by how the stranger leaned into Lotor's space while Lotor subtly leaned away. As he'd said in the message, he was shapeshifted to look more Galra, with light purple skin and solid yellow eyes, and his hair was styled up into two braids along the top of his head that imitated the crests many Galra had on their head, as if he had such crests and was trying to hide them. The rest of his hair formed one braid trailing down his back, and it swayed a little as Lotor knocked back the rest of his drink. His outfit was a little revealing, casual yet sexy, like he was trying to attract a date.

He only gave Sendak the briefest of glances, just enough that Sendak knew that Lotor knew he was there. Otherwise, he continued to listen to the man at the bar, giving him an increasingly bored expression.

Finally, Lotor hopped down from his barstool, brushing off the stranger's half hearted attempts to bid him to stay. He glanced around the room, wandering slowly over in Sendak's direction, looking for all the world like he really had no particular intention of where to go. As he came closer to Sendak, he ran his eyes over him deliberately, checking him out before gesturing to the empty stool next to him. "Is this seat taken?"

He ran his eyes over Lotor in turn, letting a small genuine smirk on his face as he pulled the seat out. 

“Not at the moment,” he drawled. “Please,” he said nodding to the empty stool. “Can I buy you a drink?”

He took another sip of his as he studied the solid gold of Lotor’s eyes. His shapeshifting was truly incredible.

"I would love that." Lotor leaned on the counter, and the angle emphasized the lines and curves of his slender body. He looked at Sendak with half-lidded eyes and smirked teasingly. "What brings a fine young man such as yourself to a place like this?"

Sendak smiled and signaled the bartender to bring Lotor a drink though he couldn’t fully tear his eyes away from Lotor’s body. 

“It seemed as good a place as any to spend the evening. Though I could ask you the same question.” He eyes Lotor up and raised his eyebrows at him teasingly.

"Is that all?" Lotor leaned forward a little closer to Sendak. "I would rather not stay too long. I just came here looking for some entertainment for the night..."

The bartender set down a drink, and Lotor took a casual sip, watching Sendak over the rim of the glass the whole time.

“Is that so?” He took a long sip. “I’m free for tonight. If you would allow me the pleasure of entertaining you.”

He met Lotor’s piercing gaze. “If you’re up for it, of course. It seems you have... options.” His smile turned playful. “Though I could try to make it worth your while.”

"Hmmm..." Lotor took another sip, acting coy, though his eyes sparkled with mischief. He looked Sendak over again and let his gaze linger between his legs. "Well, you _do_ look like you have quite a sizable cock. It would be a shame to pass up such an offer from one so well-endowed."

Breaking composure, Lotor then chuckled a little and looked out toward the dancefloor. "Do you dance, handsome? Even if not, I could put on a bit of a show for you. I have been told that I am _very_ flexible."

Sendak’s mouth went bone dry at the suggestion and all he could do was nod. He followed Lotor onto the dancefloor with what was likely a dumbfounded expression. 

He didn’t dance, not really; he’d never had the chance or interest to do so, but being skilled with a blade required rhythm, so he doubted dancing would be much more difficult. Mostly, he just wanted to see what Lotor had promised.

The dancefloor wasn’t particularly crowded or empty, so he followed Lotor to a rather empty spot and stared at him expectantly.

Lotor smirked at him, standing just over an arm's length away. He closed his eyes and tapped his foot for a few beats as the music built up, and just as the music dropped, Lotor did too, coming back up in a sultry body roll. He kept his golden eyes fixed on Sendak as he moved swiftly, keeping up with the fast pace of the music like it was nothing. He mixed fluid movements with sharp ones, showing off the control he had over his own body.

The song changed, and Lotor paused for a moment to listen to the new music before a grin broke out over his face. He stepped with the music, doing a few simple moves, and the slower pace allowed him to really emphasize his fluidity with every movement. Then, a heavy beat was added into the song, and Lotor dropped into splits, showing off how flexible he really was. He drew himself back up slowly, and the changing lights gave his movements an unnatural quality as he flowed upward like liquid defying gravity.

Then, with the same prowling steps of a feline stalking prey, he closed the distance between himself and Sendak, placing his hands on Sendak's chest as he did another enticing body roll. The music was loud over here, much more than at the bar, but it was easy to read Lotor's lips as he said, "Touch me."

Sendak couldn’t stop looking at the way he moved. He swallowed and raised his hands to Lotor’s hips, allowing them to wander up his sides and back. 

Soon he was moving with Lotor to the rhythm of the music. It came easier than he’d thought, and with Lotor against him, all his attention was focused on him anyway. He brought a hand up to cup Lotor’s jaw and placed a gentle kiss to his lips and then pulled back to look at him, still moving with him.

Lotor deliberately pressed his body against Sendak's, giving him a sultry smile. He suddenly turned around, facing away, only to rock his hips backwards, grinding his ass against Sendak's thighs. Looking back over his shoulder, he smirked and did it a few more times before turning back around again.

As they danced, his hands wandered over his own body and over Sendak's. At first, he kept his touches above the waist, but he soon brought his hands lower, running over Sendak's hips and coming teasingly close to his crotch. He met Sendak's gaze and raised an eyebrow at him as he smirked while bringing his hands ever closer to but not quite touching the bulge of Sendak's clothed cock.

Sendak ran his hands down Lotor’s sides, coming to rest on his hips. He traced small circles with his thumbs as he leaned down to whisper into Lotor’s ear. 

“We should take this somewhere else, wouldn’t you say?” He emphasized his words with a squeeze to Lotor’s ass and trailed his fangs over the side of Lotor’s slender neck. “Wouldn’t want any... distractions.”

He tasted even better than he smelled and Sendak wanted to leave small marks over every inch of his soft skin.

Lotor's shoulders shook lightly with laughter. "I was just thinking the same thing," he replied before drawing back and taking one of Sendak's hands to pull him off the dancefloor.

He led Sendak outside. The planet was in its night-cycle now, but the air was still warm, and the streets were lit by various kinds of artificial lighting. "The place I managed to secure for us is only a short walk away," Lotor explained as he headed down the street. "It's an apartment belonging to an acquaintance, and since they are away tonight, we can have it all to ourselves. Complete privacy, no cameras, no hotel records. I figured this was the simplest solution, rather than using a hotel and then trying to erase records later."

Sendak smiled at him fondly. “You truly thought of everything. A good thing, too, wouldn’t want anyone walking in on us holding hands.”

He smirked at Lotor and dragged his thumb over his hand suggestively. “Lead the way, Starlight.” He’d never called him that before but it seemed fitting somehow, like the word was made to describe the way Lotor’s hair flowed and his eyes shone.

Lotor laughed and looked up at Sendak, looking amused and fond all at once.

They walked down the street for a bit, letting the noise of the club fade into the distance. “Who is this friend, anyway?” Sendak asked. “Someone you’ve known long?”

"Actually, not really." He shrugged. "I've known them for a little while, sure, but they only know me by an alias and an appearance that isn't mine. They think I am a full-blood Galra named Inverz, and they think I need their apartment instead of getting a hotel because I'm currently lying low from the authorities. They have no idea that you and I are soulmates or _korpares_.

"Since they're away, though, we won't need to hide anything. I'll do a sweep of the apartment to make sure that they didn't leave behind any recording devices, and then we can enjoy some real privacy."

Sendak smiled. His smile came so often when he was with Lotor, easy and genuine. “That sounds like a plan.” He closed the distance between them, bumping his arm into Lotor’s. “Thank you for organizing this.”

He let Lotor lead him to a small apartment building and waited patiently for him to produce some opening device from his pocket.

Lotor smirked at him as he opened the door. "Don't worry. I know _exactly_ how you can make it up to me."

The apartment inside was modest and a little bit messy, but everything looked clean. Lotor led Sendak directly to the bedroom, which was relatively small, but it had a sizable bed with fresh-looking sheets and covers.

Sendak didn’t hesitate to pull Lotor into a hungry kiss, running his hands over his intricate braid. Lotor reciprocated eagerly, pulling him down by the shoulders and moving his lips against Sendak’s.

Noticing that Lotor was still shapeshifted, Sendak took Lotor’s face in both his hands. “Take it off. I want you, not one of your masks. I want you to let me see _you_ tonight if you’ll allow me to.” He fiddled with the zipper on the back of Lotor’s outfit. “And I can help you with this,” he said in a low voice.

Lotor looked a little surprised and then slightly flustered. "My apologies. At this point, I have made it a habit to keep up the Galra appearance when around anyone non-Altean." He closed his eyes as his skin shifted color, and when he opened them again, his blue irises and black pupils were back. His eyes were so much more expressive like this, pupils enlarged with desire, and he smiled up at Sendak. "There is no part of me that I want to hide from you."

His hands and eyes then wandered over Sendak's clothing, seeking any latches to undo. "Go ahead. We _do_ need to get all of this fabric out of the way..." He bit his lip as he continued undoing Sendak's clothing.

Sendak took the zipper in hand and dragged it downward slowly, making it easy for Lotor to slip out in his own time. He then helped with his own clothing. In the hopes of avoiding unwanted attention, he’d opted for a dark suit with small red accents. It was still safe to travel in a shuttle with, in case there was a breach of atmosphere, but it was much thinner and significantly less cumbersome than his armor would have been. The openings were hidden, so he guided Lotor’s hands to them, but not before raising them to his lips and pressing a kiss to the knuckles. 

As he left Lotor to work on his suit, he began gently undoing his braid. He wanted to let his hair flow through his fingers like water.

Lotor made quick work of all of the fasteners in Sendak's clothing before shrugging off his own, letting the pieces fall haphazardly to the ground and leaving him completely bare to Sendak's gaze. He ran his fingers through his hair after Sendak took the braid out, lightly combing it to make it fall naturally around his face and shoulders. It had waves in it now from being braided all day, and its luster caught the low light of the room.

Tugging impatiently at Sendak's bodysuit, Lotor managed to pull it partway down, but it caught on Sendak's arms. "Work with me here," he chastised teasingly. "I want to see you."

It was an effort to focus long enough to peel his suit off with Lotor just casually naked before him, but he managed to free his arms and step out of the material. 

As soon as he did, he paused, drinking in the lovely sight before him. Reaching out slowly, he stroked his cheek with the back of his hand and then trailed down his arm to take his hand and gently tug him closer.

With complete shamelessness, Lotor's desirous gaze traveled down Sendak's body and lingered on his cock. He looked back up as Sendak pulled him closer, meeting his gaze, and he grinned with the self-assured satisfaction of a man who was getting _exactly_ what he wanted.

"I'm starting to wonder if the universe just invented you out of cosmic dust specifically to suit my tastes," he purred, bringing one hand up to card his fingers through the crest of fur on the back of Sendak's head. His other hand slowly wandered down Sendak's body. "Sensible, a gentleman, _and_ well-endowed? Did no one inform you that that is simply an impossible combination?"

Sendak flushed at Lotor’s words despite himself. He knew he looked fairly decent by Galra standards, but to hear someone say it like that _and_ to have that person be Lotor left him slightly flustered. 

He smiled at him fondly. “You’re one to talk. Beautiful, sharp, deadly, and quick-witted, and such a fire in you. You burn brighter than Daibazaal’s three suns ever did together and you know it. So small for a Galra and yet so fierce. You’re absolutely lovely.”

He cupped Lotor’s jaw and planted a kiss on his forehead, the tip of his nose, his mouth. One of his hands wandered to Lotor’s bare ass and he gave it a light squeeze, humming in approval.

Lotor chuckled, averting his gaze for a moment and wetting his lips before looking back up again. "Here I am talking about how sexy you are, and you turn it into romantic prose. How am I supposed to keep up with that, hmm?"

He went up on his toes to steal another kiss, and his hands found their way to Sendak's back, tracing over the muscles there. "And you _are_ so sexy, on top of being brave and apparently an utter romantic sap." He said it all fondly and sincerely.

"But the real question now is..." He went up on his toes to whisper in Sendak's ear like this was a dirty little secret. _"Are you going to pin me down and fuck me, or do you want to lay back and let me ride you?"_

Sendak swallowed and looked into Lotor’s twinkling eyes. “I suppose that depends on what you want tonight, darling. I could do either of those things, but it’s really up to you.”

He encircled Lotor’s waist with his hands, holding him tight and nearly going all the way around. “I would love to make you moan into the mattress just as much as I’d love to see your face as I take you apart.”

He leaned in to whisper into Lotor’s ear in turn and nipped the pointed tip with his fangs. “Your choice.”

Lotor inhaled sharply, and he shuddered as Sendak's fangs released his ear. He turned his head and brought one hand up to pull Sendak yet closer, capturing his lips in a deep and passionate kiss. By the time he pulled back, he was panting, and he bit his lip briefly before murmuring, "Then show me what you've got... but let me see you."

“As you wish,” he whispered. Leaning down he put one arm under Lotor’s knees and the other around his shoulders. Lotor weighed practically nothing and he carried him the few steps to the bed, setting him down carefully in the center of it. It was a decently sized bed for the two of them. Climbing in after him he couldn’t help but shamelessly run his eyes over every inch of Lotor, spread out before him, elegant and slightly impatient. He braced himself on the mattress by Lotor’s side and brushed his lips over the center of his chest, making his way upward to his jaw and ending on his perfectly shaped lips.

Lotor held Sendak's face for a moment, pulling him down into a deeper kiss. He wrapped his legs around Sendak's waist, rutting his half-hard cock up against his abs. He let go of Sendak's head, but he moved his hands to his shoulders, still keeping him close.

"How many rounds can you go in a night?" Lotor’s voice was low and decadent. "I need a short rest between rounds, maybe a quarter of a varga, but I can cum multiple times throughout the night."

“I’m not sure what the limit is, it depends on various things and it fluctuates. Galra fertility is rather complex. But rest assured, that little skill set comes from your Galra side.” He smirked. Capturing Lotor’s lips he ran a hand down his body to his ass, giving it a light squeeze. “I’ll be sure not to leave you wanting.”

Lotor's eyes were half-lidded as he looked up at Sendak with pure desire. "Come on then. We only have tonight, and I want to be absolutely worn out and sated by the night's end." Thrusting his hips up again, he impatiently rubbed his hardening cock against Sendak's body.

Sendak was already painfully hard and Lotor’s actions weren’t making it better, but he held himself back. He’d open Lotor up nice and slow. 

He planted a kiss on Lotor’s forehead and stood, quickly grabbing the lubricant from his discarded clothes. He hadn’t wanted to presume, but in the end it was better to be prepared.

Sticking up his fingers he returned to the bed and gave Lotor an apologetic kiss, his other hand already pressing against Lotor’s entrance only to be met with hard silicone. His breath caught in his throat. “What’s this?”

Laughing lightly, Lotor smirked in self-satisfaction. "I made sure I was well-prepared for you. I didn't want anything to slow us down."

He pulled Sendak into another brief kiss, rolling his hips impatiently. "Well then? What are you waiting for?"

Sendak was imagining Lotor in the shower with his head resting against the wall as he opened himself up with the plug he was wearing, moaning wantonly. It was sinfully hot. 

He slicked up his cock, already dripping from thoughts of the sounds Lotor had made, would make, and carefully pulled out the plug, putting it away. He bit his lip as he positioned himself between Lotor’s legs and released a long breath. “So filthy.” 

Pressing his cock into Lotor’s entrance and sliding in slowly he whispered into Lotor’s ear. “Can you make the same sounds for me that you did when you prepared yourself? Or are you going to be louder for me tonight?” He focused on Lotor’s face as he slid into the impossible heat of him.

A low moan slipped from Lotor's lips, and his eyelids fluttered shut. "O-oh..." He started to pant lightly, but even so, he used his legs to draw Sendak closer. "Mmm, _yes_..." His body was tight around Sendak's cock, only relaxing a little at a time. "You're a _lot_ larger than the toy."

Rolling his hips up slowly to meet Sendak's, Lotor gradually took in his cock. He bit his lip and groaned as it filled him. It was clearly a stretch for him, but he took it inch by inch. "So _big_ ," he moaned, sounding utterly in bliss.

Sendak moved forward at a steady pace. “Tell me if you want to slow down, we’re in no rush.” He couldn’t stop looking at Lotor. The way he moved and writhed was mesmerizing. His lips parted and Sendak couldn’t stop himself from stealing a kiss and moaning against Lotor’s skin. 

The scent of him was overwhelming up close and Sendak couldn’t get enough of it. He nuzzled the spot right below Lotor’s ear and took a long and deep breath. His body sang with the way everything just felt _right_ in that moment and he pulled back to watch Lotor’s face as he bottomed out, releasing a low moan.

Lotor's eyes were scrunched up in pain or pleasure, perhaps both, and a breathy moan slipped past his parted lips. He was trembling a little, clinging to Sendak like a lifeline. " _Incendemei_ ," he muttered, and Sendak could only assume that was an Altean curse of some kind.

After a few ticks, his eyelids fluttered open, and he sighed blissfully. "By all the stars..." He rocked his hips up and immediately moaned, tightening around Sendak's cock for a moment. "Mmm, _yes_. Fuck me, Sendak."

Sendak kissed Lotor’s cheek and put a hand on his lower back, steadying him. “Yes, _devoti_.”

He rolled his hips forward slowly, savoring the way Lotor felt around him. Leaving open-mouthed kisses all over Lotor’s neck and shoulders. He picked up the pace slightly. 

“You feel so good.” He could hardly catch his breath. “You’re so beautiful. So snug and hot for me.” He nipped the side of Lotor’s neck lightly. He ran a hand over Lotor’s stomach and sides. He was so slim and yet he’d taken all of him. Sendak nearly came from the thought alone, his rhythm faltering as he looked down at the sight before him, the flushed spots on Lotor’s shoulder and collarbone. He needed to touch him, every part of him. 

Gathering Lotor up in his arms he sat up, feeling the soft skin of his sides and letting him adjust to the new angle.

Soft moans fell from Lotor's lips, and he gasped as Sendak suddenly pulled him upright. It took him a moment of just clinging to Sendak and getting his legs under him, but then a smirk slowly spread across his face. "Changed your mind?" he quipped, though he sounded utterly breathless and overwhelmed.

He started to ride Sendak, lifting himself almost completely off of his cock before sinking down again. He did it again and again, slowly building in intensity, and he gasped and then groaned as he dropped down harshly.

Sendak swallowed his sounds with a kiss, groaning equally against Lotor’s lips. He held Lotor closer and ran his hands through his hair and down his back, coming to rest on his hips. 

“Let me help you take your pleasure,” he whispered and tightened his grip on Lotor’s hips. Slowly he pulled Lotor up and let him sink back down on him, rolling his hips upward. He steadily picked up the pace, taking note of Lotor’s every move.

" _Yes_ ," Lotor answered with a moan, and his voice sounded wrecked and eager and breathless. Following his lover's pace, he ground his hips down and tightened up around Sendak's cock every time he lowered him. He clung to Sendak's shoulders as their shared passion grew more intense.

Sendak could hardly think. Lotor was perfect like this, the way he tightened around him and matched his rhythm was amazing and he could feel himself approaching the edge of his pleasure. Thrusting his hips upward without lifting Lotor he tangled a fist in his silky hair and pulled him into a sloppy kiss as he reached between them to stroke Lotor’s cock in time with his thrusts.

Moaning into the kiss, Lotor's movements became erratic, practically bouncing instead of the smooth roll of his hips that he had maintained before. He pulled back from the kiss only enough to murmur, "So close. _Love, I_ -" He cut himself off with a whine, and his grip on Sendak's shoulders tightened desperately.

He managed to lift himself up only a few more times before he dropped down harshly and his inner tissue clenched hard around Sendak's cock. "A-ah! _Sendak!_ " He shuddered and dug his claws into Sendak's skin while he tipped his head back in ecstasy. The sensations threw Sendak over the edge as well and he saw stars as he climaxed, calling out Lotor’s name in turn.

He held Lotor tightly afterwards, still unable to move and panting softly. Kissing the place where Lotor’s neck met his shoulder he took in Lotor’s calming scent. “You are incredible,” he breathed and hugged Lotor closer.

"Mmm..." Lotor held on tight at first, shivering a little, but he soon relaxed. He pulled back just enough to cup the side of Sendak's face and to coax him into a soft kiss.

As he broke the kiss after a moment, Lotor murmured, "That was absolutely wonderful, my love. Thank you."

He shifted his position and then leaned back, gently pulling Sendak down with him. Sendak squirmed lightly at the overstimulation on his softening cock and gently pulled out of Lotor. He settled down beside him and pulled him into his arms. Lotor fit perfectly into his embrace, and Sendak combed his hair with one hand as he leaned down to kiss him. 

“I know this is meant to be this way, so maybe it doesn’t mean anything for me to say it but... I think I love you, or at least I’m starting to, and you already mean so much more to me than anyone ever has.”

Lotor's eyes shone with happiness, and he smiled fondly. He spoke slowly, deliberate with each word and yet as gentle as a night breeze. "Affection, attraction — those are involuntary. You can’t choose whether you will fall for someone, but you _can_ choose what you do about it. You could have decided that I wasn't worth the trouble, or that you needed to be obedient to your people, or even that since I am your soulmate, that makes me your property rather than someone deserving of your respect. But instead, you chose to treat me with love."

He gently stroked Sendak's cheek and looked deeply into his eyes. "I love you too, Sendak."

Sendak pulled Lotor closer and nuzzled the top of his head before kissing him sweetly. “I never want to stop holding you.”

He really didn’t. Lotor was perfect. Everything was perfect in this little pocket of space and time they had carved for each other, where nobody would condemn them for loving the wrong person. 

He let his hand trail down to Lotor’s lower back and drew him in closer. “For now let’s just enjoy each other’s company. Besides, I’d like to see what other sounds you can make with that pretty mouth.” He swiped his thumb over Lotor’s lower lip. “If and when you’re up for it, of course.”

Lotor pursed his lips to kiss Sendak's thumb, and he traced his own fingers down the crest of fur on Sendak's head. His other hand was curled lightly around the side of Sendak's neck, and he lightly ran his thumb along Sendak's jawline.

"That sounds _perfect_." He flashed a suggestive smile before settling back into an affectionate one as his eyes wandered over Sendak's face. "I should be ready again soon. For now..." He snuggled up yet closer, taking away any remaining space between them and nuzzling into Sendak's shoulder. "It feels so nice to be held by you."

Sendak couldn’t keep the fond smile from his face as he wrapped his arms around Lotor again and stroked his sides and back. 

He ran his claws through Lotor’s hair and was awed once again by the nearly liquid texture of it. “Your hair is even softer than your skin, Starlight.” He explored Lotor’s skin extensively, now that it was bare and they weren’t moving frantically. There were scars, many of them, all over his body. Some day he’d ask Lotor about every one of them, but for now, tracing them was enough. They made him even more beautiful, if such a thing was possible. 

And there were marks. Altean marks in certain places like his shoulders and his hipbones and his thighs. He hadn’t noticed them in the faint glow of the violet lighting but they were there. “Can you control when your marks glow? Could you make them glow right now or does it have to be triggered by some outside factor?”

Lotor gave a content little hum as Sendak played with his hair, and he nuzzled even more into his shoulder.

"Altean marks only glow when the Altean in question is using a very, very high amount of alchemical energy," he explained, speaking softly since his mouth was so close to Sendak's ear. "The formation of the soulmate bond — which, for us, took two meetings to form properly, since our first meeting was so short, I suppose — is completely outside of an Altean's control, but it takes a lot of alchemical energy, so it causes the effect.

"Aside from that, there are few spells that draw that much energy. I suppose if I tried hard enough, I might be able to make them glow on command, but I fear that may tire me out." He lightly stroked Sendak's back, running his hand over it. "Perhaps I could try it another time, when we have more time to spare if I need to rest afterwards."

“I see.” He traced the marks on one of Lotor’s shoulders. “I don’t want you to tire yourself out, love, I was just curious. They’re quite beautiful. I never knew there were more than the ones on your face.”

He moved down to Lotor’s hip, tracing the marks there as well. “So... _alchemy_... can you do that? Can all of you?” He’d never known much about it and frankly he’d been hesitant to inform himself. It reminded him too much of the druids’ twisted art and the mere thought made his skin crawl but now that Lotor mentioned doing it... it suddenly didn’t seem so bad. “What is it like?”

Lotor nodded. "All Alteans technically can a little bit, as that is how we shapeshift, but many cannot do much more than that. Half-Alteans in the past have often been unable to do it at all, so I am very unique in that not only am I able to, but I also have stronger abilities for it than even most Alteans.

"As for what it is like, well..." His voice trailed off, and he stayed silent for a moment. "Try to imagine all of your body's natural energy as existing in one reservoir deep within you. Now imagine if you can draw energy from that reservoir anytime you wish, but the act of drawing out the energy is difficult, and the energy is somewhat unpredictable and difficult to manage. That’s the best way I could describe it.

"Of course, that internal energy becomes easier to draw from and use with practice. If I spent more time on the art, I would be able to accomplish more with it, but I am still rather inexperienced."

Sendak looked deeply into Lotor’s eyes. “Fascinating,” he whispered. “Although I feel that you’re not giving yourself enough credit. You seem to be quite good at shapeshifting from what I’ve seen.”

Cupping the back of Lotor’s head he pressed kisses to the top of it. He’d never experienced such a strong urge to protect someone from anything that might want to harm him. Not that Lotor needed him to but he wanted to take care of him regardless. 

He closed his eyes for a moment and just listened to Lotor’s breathing. It was the most calming sound he’d ever heard. He smiled and whispered into Lotor’s delicately pointed ear: “Let me know when you’re ready, Starlight.”

Lotor shivered a little and then nuzzled into Sendak's neck. He pressed one kiss there, then another, then another before pulling back enough to look Sendak in the eyes. "I'm ready."

Sendak took Lotor’s face in his hands and gave him a long and lingering kiss. “Alright.” He gently positioned Lotor so that he was spread out on his back. “Tell me what you want,” he said with a smirk. 

With one last suggestive glance he began trailing kisses down Lotor’s chest and abdomen, stopping at his inner thigh and looking up at him as he rubbed his cheek against the soft skin and smiled at Lotor suggestively.

Lotor flushed, biting his lip as he looked down at Sendak. "I am rather curious to see what you will come up with," he said as coyly as he could manage while being as flustered as he was just then. "Go ahead and surprise me."

Sendak smiled against Lotor’s skin. “I was hoping you would say that,” he drawled and slowly spread Lotor’s legs with a gentle grip to the knees. 

He kissed his way down to his groin and, looking directly at Lotor, licked a slow stripe up the underside of his already hardening cock. He took the tip in his mouth and swirled his tongue over it, refusing to look away even as he swallowed Lotor down.

Lotor groaned, eyelids fluttering as he tried to eye contact with Sendak. He tangled his fingers into Sendak's fur, holding on tight but not forcing his head down. "Ngh, Sendak..."

He loved the way Lotor said his name, the way he wasn’t able to finish his thought. 

Taking Lotor’s knees in his hands he guided them over his shoulders. He brought his hands to Lotor’s hip and held him down, keeping him from moving as he hollowed out his cheeks and began moving over Lotor’s length. 

He licked and sucked and dragged his fangs over the tip. After a while he splayed a hand out over Lotor’s belly, keeping him from bucking up, and moved the other to his ass, giving it a firm squeeze before dragging his finger over Lotor’s rim and pushing it inside his still loose entrance.

Lotor continued to groan softly, squirming a little and trying to buck his hips up against Sendak's strong hands. His cock twitched and he inhaled sharply at the feeling of fangs, muttering, "Yes, more of that," between his moans.

The moment Sendak slipped a finger in, Lotor whined, squirming a little. "A-ah, I'm — I'm still sensitive..." His breathing was uneven, and he kept his eyes shut tightly, mouth parted in an expression of pleasure. He tried to push his hips forward onto Sendak's finger. "More," he begged, and he muttered something else too quiet to catch.

Normally he would leave his partner to squirm for a little while longer but Lotor’s soft plea was impossible to ignore and he redoubled his efforts. 

Adding a second finger he curled them, hitting that sweet spot inside Lotor, and pulled off to ask with a smirk: “Like that, love?”

Lotor's response was a low moan as he clenched down around Sendak's fingers. His fingers tightened in Sendak's fur, and he tried again in vain to buck his hips. _"Yes."_ Wrecked and breathy, his voice was almost too soft to hear. "Like that, _yes, Sendak!"_

Still smiling he placed a kiss on the tip of Lotor’s cock and hummed thoughtfully before moving his fangs over the same spot and swallowing him down again. He loved the sounds Lotor made, the way his voice sounded so completely wrecked and beautiful. 

Sendak timed the movement of his mouth with the thrusts of his fingers and occasionally dragged his fangs lightly over the shaft, just to remind Lotor they were there.

 _"Mors mei eris,"_ Lotor swore fervently. He groaned and whimpered, squirming under Sendak's touches, and he brought his hands from Sendak's head down to his shoulders to dig his claws in there.

His breathing became even more wrecked and uneven, and after a very shaky inhale, he whimpered, "Close, too close." He started weakly pushing Sendak's shoulders. "Going to — going to cum..."

Sendak hummed around Lotor’s cock, making sure he felt it. He fully intended to take everything Lotor gave him as he wasn’t going to pull back now that he was finally reaching that point. He quickened his pace and curled his fingers simultaneously as he looked at Lotor to see the way he fell apart.

Lotor panted heavily, digging his small claws into Sendak's shoulders again, and every desperate breath was peppered with small whimpers and whines. His hips rocked as much as they could against Sendak's hand.

Then, finally, his body clenched down _hard_ around Sendak's fingers, and his cock twitched in his mouth. He threw his head back in ecstasy and cried out wordlessly, choked and desperate, as he climaxed, and he filled Sendak's mouth with his warm cum.

Sendak swallowed, satisfied with his work, and pulled his fingers out of Lotor, giving his ass an appreciative stroke. 

When he was certain he’d cleaned Lotor up, he took his hand off his abdomen and returned to his place next to him. He realized that their little game had left him painfully hard, and it was no wonder with the way Lotor looked, so wrecked and pliant. He would get hard just thinking about it. 

“How was that?” he asked and pressed a sloppy kiss to his lips, lowering his hand to his own cock to lazily stroke himself.

"Mmmm..." Lotor smiled sleepily, looking all fucked out and satisfied. _"Very_ good. That felt absolutely lovely."

One of his hands drifted down to meet Sendak's, and Lotor slipped his slender fingers underneath his lover's larger ones. With a firm grip, he started to stroke. "Roll onto your back." Lotor looked a little more recovered now, and his eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Let me take care of you."

Sendak paused. He hadn’t really expected Lotor to offer, content with simply looking at him as he got himself off, but the fact that Lotor was asking made him smile. 

“You don’t have to,” he said, but he did as Lotor said. “I can take care of myself.”

"I'm sure you can." Lotor shuffled down the bed as he continued to stroke. "And I appreciate the lack of pressure. I have certainly hooked up with people before who acted like I had to repay them for every bit of pleasure, and I usually ended up walking out on them halfway through the night. However..." He settled into place between Sendak's legs, and he looked up into his eyes as he lightly licked across the tip of Sendak's cock. "In this case, I _want_ to suck your cock."

With that, he immediately took the tip into his mouth, closing his lips in a tight ring around just the head of it and sucking hard. At the same time, he continued to stroke in short, slow, but firm motions, keeping his fingers wrapped around the thick base.

Sendak threw his head back against the pillows. Lotor’s mouth was so hot and his slim fingers were expertly working his shaft. It was bliss. He released soft and breathy moans and his hands found their way to Lotor’s soft hair and he ran his fingers through it without inhibiting Lotor’s movement. 

He was already closer than he would normally be due to the spectacular show Lotor had put on for him before, but Lotor’s mouth was dangerously clever. “So good...” he managed softly.

Lotor hummed, looking up at Sendak as he lowered his mouth to take in more. His tongue swirled around Sendak's length, stimulating every part of it, and he hollowed his cheeks as he sucked hard at intermittent intervals. He clearly had experience with this, and soon enough, he had taken in enough of the shaft that the tip was brushing the back of his throat.

He didn't go down any farther than that, instead using his hands to stimulate the rest, but he gave Sendak a _look_ before he began to bob his head up and down, sucking every time he started to pull off and running his tongue along the length with every motion.

Sendak’s eyes fluttered shut and his breathing quickened. Lotor was insanely good at this, knowing exactly how to move to stimulate him. 

He pushed his hands further into Lotor’s silky hair, seeking to ground himself. “Fuck. Yes, Lotor.”

He nearly lost all coherent thought. There was only Lotor’s hot mouth and the pleasure he was expertly wringing from him. “I’m close.” Perhaps the bond made everything feel more intense because he was about to burst. “ _Please_.” He wasn’t even sure what he was asking for.

Lotor continued without faltering, keeping up a fast pace as he bobbed his head. His fingers continued to stroke the base in firm motions.

As he kept going, he started to force his head down a little lower, letting the tip of Sendak's cock hit the back of his throat each time. Finally, he pulled his hands away from the base, and he forced his head down. He swallowed hard, drawing the tip of Sendak's cock down into his throat and letting the muscles there contract around it. His jaw was stretched wide as his mouth covered the entire length and girth, lips wrapped around the whole base of it.

Sendak moaned and gasped, pleasure sparking through his body in intense waves. He couldn’t believe Lotor had taken all of him again. He was so small and yet he’d expertly swallowed him down. 

His contracting muscles and the soft lips at the base of Sendak’s cock finally pushed him over the edge and all he could manage was a choked off yell of Lotor’s name as he spilled down his throat.

Lotor's fingers curled around and held onto Sendak's hips. He swallowed repeatedly, drinking down all of Sendak's cum and working him through his orgasm. Only after Sendak's cock had stopped twitching did Lotor pull off, and he gasped a little for air and cleared his throat a few times before shooting Sendak a self-satisfied smile. "How was that?" he asked with just a slight raspy edge to his voice.

Sendak released a long breath as he tried to collect himself. “That was...” He trailed off, breathing heavily and held Lotor’s face gently, coaxing him closer. 

“You are incredible. _Very_ talented with your mouth.” He drew Lotor in for a kiss and tasted himself on his lips. “How are you so perfect, love?”

He pushed the strands of Lotor’s hair out of the way to better see his features and peppered kisses all over his face.

Laughing lightly as he returned the kisses, Lotor snuggled up closer to Sendak and then buried his face into his neck. "I'm not _perfect,"_ he protested lightly, making light of it but also sounding a little bit flustered.

His hands found their way to caressing the back of Sendak's head again, a motion that Lotor seemed rather fond of by this point, judging by the care with which he threaded his fingers through the fur there. "Besides, I wanted to give you my best, especially after you took such good care of me." He pulled back just enough to smirk at Sendak. "You also have quite the talented mouth, my love, and such admirable attention to detail."

Sendak caressed the side of Lotor’s face. He was glad that Lotor couldn’t see how flustered he was. “You deserve every bit of it. I could spend decaphoebes exploring your skin.” He ran his other hand over Lotor’s ribs in emphasis. Humming thoughtfully he drew him in closer as he smiled teasingly. “Maybe we should just both go somewhere far away where nobody will ever bother us again,” he said. “Then we’d never have to be apart.”

Lotor huffed an incredulous laugh. "That is _precisely_ what I've been saying this entire time, darling. We can run away and hide out somewhere quiet and just enjoy ourselves forever."

Nuzzling into Sendak's neck a little more, he murmured, "I'll get us there. I just need to hand off my raid responsibilities to someone else and set up a hideout, and then you and I can be together. I promise."

Sendak smiled. “That sounds lovely.” Pausing for a moment he contemplated the possibilities. “I’m only scared that something will go wrong. That you’ll end up in the hands of the empire and I won’t be able to protect you and that it’ll be my fault.” Somehow whispering his fears into the darkness made them more manageable. More real, certainly, but less abstract. More like something he could work against. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.” There was no other option. No other acceptable outcome.

"Darling..." Lotor sighed. "I know the risks I am taking nearly every day. I could have wound up captured a long time ago." He clung tightly to Sendak. "Even if something happens somehow, it will not be your fault. I'm sure of that."

He swallowed hard before whispering, "I am so afraid that somehow my plans will fail and you will be found, and then _you_ will suffer and it will all be _my_ fault. I would not be able to forgive myself if I failed to protect you."

Sendak kissed the top of his head. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine and even if I’m not, it won’t be your fault, Lotor, I need you to know that.”

He smoothed a hand over his hair reassuringly. “And your plans won’t fail. I’ve seen you work, you’re brilliant. You can stroll into the command ship of one of the largest Galra fleets completely unnoticed.” Nuzzling the top of his head he pulled him even closer, if such a thing was possible. “And I can take care of myself, love. It’ll be alright.”

Lotor relaxed against him, snuggling up and letting Sendak pull him closer. "I know it will most likely all work out. That is what I am working towards. In the end, all this stress and worry will be behind us, and we'll be happy and free."

Softer, he added, "It's ridiculous how much I love you already. I can't imagine a future without you."

Freedom. It was a strange and foreign word. One he’d never truly contemplated. He’d been a soldier all his life and he’d never considered it a confinement but now everything was different and the promise of freedom, the possibility of following that bright strand tying him to Lotor wherever it may lead them... the idea felt _right_. 

“I love you too,” he spoke back, his voice equally soft and intimate. “We’ll make our own future,” he said and held on to Lotor as he gently kissed his forehead. They’d make it somehow, he was sure of it.

* * *

By the time the windows were lightening with the first hint of sunlight, Sendak and Lotor had fallen into silent enjoyment of each others' company, cuddling and almost-dozing. They had been awake all night, talking in between rounds of sexual activity, and though it had worn them both out, neither was willing to waste any potential moment together.

As the light slowly continued to brighten, however, Lotor stirred and very slowly pulled away from Sendak. "You should go," he murmured sadly. "You need to get back to your ship."

Sendak knew he was right and failing to do so would put them both in danger. There was nothing he wanted less than that, but he couldn’t quite stop himself from holding on to Lotor, keeping him from pulling away.

“I don’t want to,” he whispered into his hair. He didn’t have a choice, of course, but he wanted to pretend he did, just for a moment, as he clung to Lotor.

Lotor's breath hitched, and he wrapped his arms around Sendak and held on just as tightly. "I know." His voice was strained and tight. "I don't want you to either."

His chest shook against Sendak's with a few small sobs, and a few tears slipped from his eyes and fell onto Sendak's fur. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I usually have better control of myself, but with the bond, having you so close, feeling your sadness on top of mine..."

Sendak hadn’t realized that was likely the cause of his intense emotions, the way they were in tandem with Lotor’s. It was strangely comforting to feel his sadness. It made him more... real. Still, he would do anything to make Lotor stop feeling this way and knowing that he couldn’t do anything substantial right now frustrated him to no end. 

He kissed away Lotor’s tears even as he felt his own eyes grow wet. Holding him close for a few minutes, he tried to ignore the daylight creeping into the room. When he finally loosened his grip he took Lotor’s face in his hands and looked at him, committing his features to memory before stealing a soft kiss from his lips.

Lotor pressed into the kiss, moving one hand to the back of Sendak's head to keep him from pulling back. He kept the kiss soft and sweet as he lingered there, moving his lips slowly against Sendak's and stealing a dozen tiny kisses from his lips before finally letting go.

Finally, he pulled away, and he met Sendak's gaze with tears in his own eyes. "Go. Clean yourself up, get dressed, and then hurry back. I'm afraid if I don't send you away now, I'll never let you leave."

Sendak pulled Lotor’s hands up and pressed a few kisses to his knuckles before pulling back. He quickly washed up in the en-suite before pulling on his suit. 

Lotor was still sitting on the edge of the bed, exactly as he had been a few minutes ago, as if he’d been lost in thought. Sendak cupped his jaw and pressed a last gentle kiss to Lotor’s lips.

“I hope we can see each other again soon and if not then we have this.” He put his hand over Lotor’s chest in the same spot where he typically felt the pull of the bond. “May the stars shine upon our fates,” he said, repeating something he remembered Lotor saying.

A few more tears slipped from Lotor's eyes, but he forced a smile as he placed one hand over Sendak's hand and the other on Sendak's chest. "May the stars shine upon our fates," he repeated. He then gently pulled Sendak's hand away and pressed a kiss to the palm of it before letting go.

"Now, go. You need to hurry back before anyone suspects anything." He looked like it physically pained him to send Sendak away like this, but his voice was firm. "We'll meet again soon, and we still have the communicator. Go."

Sendak smiled sadly but he knew Lotor was right. He nodded and turned away, knowing that he’d never leave otherwise. Despite himself he couldn’t resist turning to get one last look at Lotor. “Goodbye, love,” he said and left.

He made his way back to his shuttle and eventually his quarters without any incidents and sent a small reassuring message to Lotor when he got there before sinking into his bed, already missing Lotor’s warmth beside him.


	4. Arc 2: Testing

Sendak was lying awake in bed, feeling inexplicably stressed and worried. He wasn't normally anxious for no reason like this, and he wasn't sure what to do about it. He just kept checking the communicator that Lotor had given him, hoping that he would say something to ease his worry soon. Usually, Lotor would have messaged him goodnight by now, but he hadn’t tonight, for some reason. Still, there were some nights where it wasn’t safe for Lotor to send communications, so Sendak was still trying to convince himself that Lotor would be fine.

His fear suddenly spiked, and a sense of dread filled him before a sudden pain seized his chest. It felt strange and wrong, simultaneously some of the worst pain that Sendak had ever felt and yet also just a mere echo of it. It lasted only a handful of ticks, and then Sendak felt — nothing. No pain, no nagging and vague anxiety and dread, only a sharp and horrifying realization of his own. That was _Lotor's_ fear, _Lotor's_ pain. Something was very, very wrong. Sendak hurried to get dressed again and went out to a computer terminal.

He had to find answers. Lotor was hurt somehow. He knew he was alive — he would have felt it if he weren’t — but there was something terribly wrong. If there’d been a complication on one of his raids... His mind was racing by the time he got to a terminal and pulled up the recent reports on raids across the empire, his eyes scanning frantically for a fight, a capture, a kill.

He got to one of the most recent reports and stopped in his tracks. It was a short status report, and he skimmed it. _Altean raiding party of unknown size... No losses... leader apprehended..._ Sendak only picked up on every other word in his panic. There was a file attached to the report, a prisoner manifest complete with a picture. He felt his stomach drop to his knees and his chest tighten unbearably. Lotor looked at the camera with fury on his face but there was fear on the edges of his eyes. _Transferred to Central Command_ it said at the bottom. 

Fuck. _Fuck_. This was all his fault. He’d given Lotor the intel and it had been wrong and now he was being tortured or worse. He should have listened to him and left with him as soon as possible. No. No, Lotor would not die because of him, suffer because of him. He wouldn’t allow it. Closing the reports, he released a shaky breath. He had to save him. If it was the last thing he did, then so be it. He banished the despair from his mind. It wouldn’t help either of them. He set his jaw and made his way back to his quarters.

From his datapad, he quickly filed for vacation time. He had to use sick days for the next couple of days and then leave time for the couple of days following those, but he knew that was common enough when soldiers couldn't get approved for the exact leave days they wanted, so it was unlikely that anyone would question it until it was too late. Then, he packed a bag, putting standard things like a spare flightsuit and sleepwear on top to hide the emergency rations and extra knives at the bottom of the bag. He knew that he couldn't clean out his room of everything useful without potentially drawing suspicion, but he wanted to grab things that he might need. 

All this preparation took very little time, and Sendak was left awake and restless, unable to take off at such an odd hour without attracting attention but unable to sleep while knowing that Lotor was in such horrible danger. He tried to feel the bond, to... sense, somehow, what Lotor might be feeling, but nothing worked. The bond itself was there and he was able to discern the direction Lotor was in by focusing on it, but he couldn't get any feelings from it, and he wasn't sure if he was doing something wrong or if someone had muted their connection somehow or if Lotor was simply unconscious.

He had to get to him as quickly as possible. If he was unconscious, it was only a matter of time until he woke up and they truly began torturing him, and if their bond was being suppressed, then the druids had something to do with it. Sendak didn’t want to consider either option, but there was nothing else to do as he waited for the day cycle to begin. He knew he should get some sleep but it was simply impossible given the situation. 

He tossed and turned all night, sick with worry, and when it was finally time to leave and he expected to feel exhausted, there was nothing there but cold determination. He _would_ get Lotor out. 

Nobody asked him where he was going when he made his way to the hangar with a packed bag. Nobody questioned him when he took one of the shuttles and left. Nobody stopped him from plotting a course to Central Command and activating the warp core.

The trip there was mercifully quick, and to Sendak's relief, he was hardly questioned once he arrived. His vague answer of taking leave to visit Central and take advantage of the services only available there was a good enough answer, and he was assigned a visiting officer room and wished a happy trip. 

He left his bag in the ship, hoping that he would be able to take that same ship when escaping, though he knew that wasn't guaranteed. Still, he had no idea what state Lotor might be in, and he couldn't carry a bag and Lotor _and_ fight his way out at the same time if it came down to that, so he figured this was his best chance of keeping it. If he ended up not being able to take it, it wouldn't really be a problem. 

Though he wanted to keep the communicator on him, he remembered Lotor's warning about keeping it away from the druids. Anything that could alert them was too much of a liability at this point, so he reluctantly left it in the bag on the ship. He wouldn't have much need of it anymore after he'd gotten Lotor anyways. He did his best to walk the halls with purpose, knowing that no one was likely to question a lieutenant. Sure enough, he made his way through Central Command without any issue, and his security clearance brought him onto the level for prisoner containment without any questions. As he approached the lab, however, he began to worry. He knew it would likely not be so easy. He’d memorized a route to the hangar without patrols but that wouldn’t do him any good if it came down to it and the Druids caught him. He tried ignoring his racing heartbeat and what he was about to do. There was no turning back now. 

Bracing himself, he opened the door to the lab and stepped inside a long hallway lined with doors. He concentrated on the bond. He knew Lotor must be close because there was a small thread pulling him forward, but it was faint and fragile in a way it had never been before. The empty hallway made him more anxious than relieved, but he followed the faint echo of the bond to a door. Taking a deep breath, he opened it. 

He was greeted with a large empty room. Empty, that was, save for strange laboratory equipment and a large chamber in the corner with a heavily armored door, seemingly made of solid metal. His bond was pulling him in the direction of the metal contraption, and he nearly fell over his feet in his hurry to get to it. He ripped the door open and was assaulted by the intensity of the bond, slamming into his chest so hard he nearly fell to his knees. Lotor. He felt him before he saw him.

Lotor let out a wordless sound of surprise, and Sendak looked to see that he was gagged. He was wearing only a black bodysuit and was bound with metal restraints holding him down to a table at his neck, chest, wrists, thighs, and ankles. 

Sendak rushed to his side. He reached out, cupping the side of Lotor's face as well as he could around the straps of the gag and looking into Lotor's eyes, which were wide with shock as he mumbled something around the gag. An innate sense of relief and completeness filled Sendak at the sight and touch of his soulmate, but he knew they weren't safe yet. 

He wasted no time in trying to free Lotor. He pulled at the bands in the hopes he could bend or break them, but they were too strong. As he pulled again, Lotor tried to call out around the gag, though Sendak had no idea what he was saying. He seemed panicked but not in pain, so Sendak continued, now looking around the table for any kind of release button.

“It’s alright,” he said quietly, gripping Lotor’s hand carefully as he continued his search. “I’ll get you out of here.” Lotor released another muffled attempt at speech, but Sendak couldn’t understand him with the gag in the way. Perhaps Lotor knew where the restraints released and wanted to tell him. He had to get rid of it. 

Taking Lotor’s face in his hands, he searched for an opening, finding it at the back of Lotor’s head and quickly taking it off. Lotor took in a few shallow breaths. “You need to leave. Please, you need to leave _right now_. It’s a trap. You need to go before they find you here—” He cut himself off, staring past Sendak at the open doorway the same moment that Sendak felt a dark presence behind him. _Fuck_. He took two of the fighting knives he’d brought in his hands and turned to face the creature standing between them and freedom.

Purple Quintessence crackled in one upturned palm as the druid faced Sendak, and he barely had a chance to dodge when it unleashed its power. Another blast and another sent Sendak skittering across the width of the small chamber in an increasingly desperate attempt to not get hit. Then, the druid stopped aiming at Sendak. For a moment, he was confused and almost relieved, but then he realized it was aiming at Lotor instead. Frantically, Sendak jumped forward to try to take the blow, but he was too late, and he felt pain erupt in his own chest as Lotor's cry echoed harshly inside the enclosed space. He stumbled, clutching his chest, and sank to one knee. 

As the pain faded, Sendak quickly stood again, but he froze as he saw the druid's hand hovering over Lotor's heart. " _You experience only part of his pain_ ," the druid rasped in an awful, unnatural voice. " _Could you still run while I electrocute him, I wonder? Do you want to find out?_ " Lotor's face was contorted in pain, but he met Sendak's eyes and mouthed one word. ' _Go._ '

He couldn’t breathe, and he could only imagine what Lotor must be feeling. Lotor’s eyes were filled with horrible pain as he urged Sendak to leave. He looked back at Lotor with sorrow, trying to convey his regret and his determination. He shook his head ever so slightly. He wouldn’t leave Lotor here. Never. It was unthinkable. 

Instead of running, he launched himself at the druid, slashing at him. The druid hadn’t expected him but dodged anyway, releasing a hiss. “ _So be it._ ” 

Sendak couldn’t move fast enough to avoid the blast of dark power slamming straight into his chest. He screamed and fell to his knees right next to the table they’d strapped Lotor to. It felt like he was being torn apart from the inside out. “ _Yes, you’ll do nicely._ ” 

The cold voice was coming from everywhere and he could hardly keep his eyes open through the pain. He’d failed. He hadn’t been able to keep Lotor out of their grasp and now he was going to be used against him further. It filled him with rage and hopelessness and he tried to lash out only to have the druid redouble his magic. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. He felt the druid’s clawed hand on his temple and he knew there was a wicked smile behind the mask.

The last thing he heard was Lotor's voice crying his name. Then the pain took over, and he blacked out completely.

* * *

He felt cold. He was lying on something cold and only barely padded, such that he could feel the hard surface underneath. His head was pounding, and he tried to lift a hand to it only to find that he couldn't move. Opening his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar room with strange equipment around him, and he realized he was strapped to a table in the same way Lotor was. _Lotor._ Sendak looked around again, but he could see no sign of his soulmate, and his heart sank. He tried to sense their bond, but it was muted again, and he hated how lonely and helpless he felt without that clear connection.

“ _You’re awake. Good._ ” The cold voice was back. Sendak’s eyes narrowed. He couldn’t turn his head enough to get a good look but he knew it was one of _them_. He fought against the restraints as a withered hand placed sensors on his head and arms but it was no use, the metal held tight. Soon there was a steady beeping from the monitors. He wondered if they were doing the same to Lotor on the other side of that... _barrier_. It was somehow repressing their bond, and Sendak wondered if the strange chamber did the same to Lotor’s abilities. 

A hand over his chest and a menacing mask staring down at him brought him back to himself. The druid studied him and brought a hand up to his chest. Without so much as a pause, the druid began shocking him with the strange dark lightning. It felt awful, as if it was searing his skin and carving out his bones. Sendak couldn’t help but scream at the horrible sensation. It seemed to last millennia, the pain subsiding for a few heartbeats only to return worse than ever. 

Eventually, the druid stepped back and left Sendak’s field of vision. The sensors were still in his skin, recording all sorts of things for the druids’ twisted science, but there was nothing he could do about that. He was about to breathe easily again, certain the druid had left, when he heard the distinct opening and shutting of a heavy door. His blood ran cold. _Lotor._

Agonizing ticks of anticipation turned into equally stressful doboshes as Sendak waited for something to happen. A couple of druids and a few scientists walked past, but none took any particular interest in him. From what he could tell, this room was one of the larger experiment rooms and contained extra supplies, as a couple of the scientists fetched things out of cabinets and the like. From where he was positioned, he could only just see the metal chamber Lotor was in on the other side of the large room. 

After an uncomfortably long time, a druid (the same one?) came back over to examine the monitors on him. " _No sign of pain transference_ ," it noted, and Sendak felt ill at the confirmation that the druid had been torturing Lotor. It turned to a couple of Galra scientists in the room. " _Take him into the vacant side of the chamber_." The scientists took off the sensors attached to him and wheeled him toward the chamber, and Sendak noted up close that it wasn't quite the same as before. This one was slightly bigger, and there were two doors spaced generously apart on the front of it. He was brought through one of them and into the chamber, where he saw the same sort of metal walls, ceiling, and floor that the other chamber had been made out of, but this one featured some sort of glass-like panel in the center completely sealing off the two sides.

Lotor was on the other side of the glass. He looked pale and pained, and sweat shimmed on his forehead, but when he turned his head to meet Sendak's gaze, his expression softened. Sendak couldn't quite read the look on his face — fondness, pity, regret? — but he tried to give a reassuring look of his own.

The door shut and the druid was on him in an instant. “ _Let’s try this again,_ ” the creature said, and the familiar black lightning arced through the air and connected with Sendak’s body. He couldn’t even hear himself screaming, unable to focus on anything but the pain. In one of the brief ticks where the druid relented, he managed to find that once-again powerful bond wound tight in his chest. He could do nothing against sharing this pain, but he held on to the bond like a lifeline, hoping it would give him strength. When the pain finally stopped he looked over at Lotor, who was breathing heavily as well. 

He hated this. Every aspect of it. Seeing Lotor on that table was so much more painful than anything the druids could ever do to him. Sendak felt bile rise to his throat as the druid walked out of his side of the chamber and into Lotor’s, repeating the procedure as if he was simply going through the motions and not torturing someone. The pain was less intense this way, but seeing the brunt of it inflicted on Lotor was so much worse. The druid continued to switch between both of them for what felt like ages until they were finally, _finally,_ left alone. The metal restraints binding him to the table released, and he dragged himself over to the transparent barrier, leaning against one wall of the chamber for support as he sat on the floor.

Lotor watched him for a moment, panting heavily until he finally rolled off of the table and crawled to the barrier. He placed one hand against the glass-like polymer, and Sendak mirrored the motion, but the transparent barrier was so thick that there was a visibly large gap between them. 

Lotor tried tapping the glass, but Sendak couldn't feel any vibration or hear any sound. _'Sendak.'_ Lotor's lips formed the familiar shape of his name, and he tried to force a smile in return. Then Lotor went on to say more things, but though Sendak tried to focus, he couldn't make sense of any of it, and he shook his head helplessly. 

"Can you understand me?" he asked, moving his lips slowly and deliberately. Lotor made a gesture of uncertainty, then used two fingers to show a small distance — _a little._ He tried giving another response, speaking more slowly this time, but Sendak still couldn't understand it. 

"I cannot read lips," Sendak explained. "Do you know Galra sign language?"

Pursing his lips, Lotor shook his head. He mouthed one word that was easy enough to grasp: _'Sorry.'_

"It is okay." Sendak was trying very hard to be deliberate with his words, even though it sounded unnatural to him. "Not your fault." He gestured to himself. "My fault for getting caught. I am sorry." 

_'No.'_ Lotor forced a little smile. He said something that Sendak couldn't catch, but judging by his expression, it was meant to be reassuring.

Sendak pressed his hand to the glass again. There was no way to express what he felt with words, least of all when they could barely communicate. He looked Lotor in the eyes and tried to send a wave of regret and guilt down the bond deliberately. “I’m sorry.”

Lotor mirrored the placement of his hand, matching their hands up as closely as possible with the thick barrier between them. He shook his head, still giving Sendak a reassuring look. Then, he placed his other hand on his chest and then moved it to reach toward Sendak's, like he was trying to touch his chest in the same way he had before along with that same blessing that he mouthed now. _'May the stars shine upon our fates.'_

Sendak blinked a few times before repeating the gesture. He was stunned by Lotor’s faith, not faltering despite everything that was happening to them. “I love you,” he said and did his best to let Lotor feel it through their bond. “I wanted to save you and I failed.” He signed the words as he spoke them. Maybe Lotor would pick some of it up; it was worth a try.

Lotor looked touched, smiling through the sorrow in his eyes. _'I love you.'_ He lifted his hands, but he couldn't imitate the signs, at least not yet. His gaze flickered between Sendak's hands and his eyes. He then leaned forward and breathed heavily on the glass, leaving behind a thin but visible layer of condensation. He struggled to write backwards, trying to trace out the word _love_.

Sendak understood. He made the motion again, crossing his fists over his chest. “Love,” he repeated. He gestured to himself, made the sign, and then gestured at Lotor. “I love you.”

Lotor's eyes lit up, and he mirrored the motion, mouthing along with it. _'I love you.'_ He then breathed on the glass again, writing out letters facing himself that appeared backwards to Sendak. _Read backwards?_

Sendak nodded. “Yes I can,” he signed the words as he said them. “Go ahead.”

 _You did right._ Lotor wrote quickly to get the words down before the condensation disappeared. _Thanks for trying._ Biting his lip, he hesitated before adding: _No matter what..._ He then took a deep breath and fogged up more of the glass, as much as he could. _We'll be together in the After._

Sendak’s heart sank at the words, the implications. He pressed a hand to the barrier again. Although he didn’t want to die, didn’t want Lotor to die, he appreciated the sentiment. The Galra believed in an afterlife as well, and he knew that nobody could take it from them. It was the place where all souls returned after being freed of their mortal shells, and theirs were bound forever. Even if their bodies were never burnt as was proper for a Galra burial, they couldn’t keep them from it. He’d just hoped they’d have more time together. 

He felt Lotor’s sorrow mingling with his own and a tear slid down his face as he nodded. “I want to hold you,” he said quietly without meaning to. He wished the barrier would disappear into nothingness so he could feel Lotor in his arms, but it was solid. They were inches apart and they might as well have been light years.

A couple of mirroring tears slipped down Lotor's cheeks as well, and he pressed his hand to the barrier and nodded. He readjusted his position so that he could lean against it, tilting his head to rest on the glass, though he still looked over at Sendak. A few more tears fell from his eyes.

Sendak mirrored his position, pressing against the cold hard glass and pretending it was Lotor's soft and warm skin. He made a motion against the glass as if he was wiping the tears from Lotor's face and let a small and sad smile onto his lips. He was exhausted but he couldn't bring himself to close his eyes, fearing that they would take him away from Lotor again soon.

Lotor half-smiled as he wiped his tears away, following the motion of Sendak's fingers. The tension slowly drained from his body and left him slumped against the barrier. His eyelids fluttered as he fought to keep them open, and his breath lightly fogged up part of the glass as he kept his face pressed against it. Eventually, his eyes stayed closed.

Sendak settled further into the corner and looked at Lotor's face. It occurred to him that he'd never seen him sleep before. Lotor looked soft like this, all the worry wiped from his features leaving him looking a lot younger. Sendak traced the glass with his fingers as he'd trace the lines of Lotor's face. Eventually his hand fell to his side, and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

When Sendak awoke, he felt a sudden spike of fear. He looked around his side of the chamber and found nothing, but then he looked through the barrier and found two druids trying to strap Lotor down to the table again. Lotor was struggling, and he looked terrified, but there was nothing he could do against two of those creatures, and there was nothing that Sendak could do but watch. A sudden burst of pain bloomed in his chest as one of the druids shocked Lotor. Finally, the straps were all secured, and Lotor's wide eyes were fixed on Sendak as he turned his head to the side as well as he could. Then, one of the druids tipped Lotor's head up and started to feed him some kind of goo, and the other druid left the chamber only to reappear on Sendak's side.

Sendak tensed and backed up further into the wall. The druid assessed him casually, as if he were far from a threat, and placed a small bowl full of what looked to be the same goop they were feeding Lotor. The druid eyed him, and Sendak realized he was starving. He knew they’d force him either way, so he decided to pick up the bowl and do his best not to gag at the flavorless mass. He knew they’d likely strapped Lotor down before they fed him to keep him from trying anything. It was probably the same reason they kept him inside this box all the time. 

Sendak finished his food before long, lost in thought, and the druid was before him in an instant, gesturing to the table. “ _Lie down._ ” Sendak kept his gaze stony, making no move to obey. The druid moved and Sendak grunted as he was hit by lightning. He closed his eyes against the pain and rested his head against the barrier. When he opened them again through the continuing waves of pain, Lotor was looking at him, a pained expression on his face, and he couldn’t bear the thought that he was inflicting this on him. “Alright! Alright, yes, I’ll do as you say.” The pain stopped instantly, and the druid stepped back to let him pass. He caught his breath and rose, walking to the table and sitting down on it. The druid pushed him down, methodically fastening the restraints.

Once they were all in place, the druid left momentarily and came back with a small device, and before Sendak could figure out what it was, the druid pressed it to his right leg, and he felt a sharp, stinging pain that lasted for only a tick. The druid then pulled the device away, and Sendak tried not to show his confusion. That was rather mild by comparison to the previous day's torture, but he didn't exactly want to voice that quip and invite more pain on himself and on Lotor. Instead, he watched suspiciously as the druid seemed to make some notes on a datapad.

Suddenly, without any warning, he felt a strange sensation in his left leg, a painful but somehow muted sensation. He twitched and pulled against the bonds, but the pain was over as suddenly as it had begun. Confused, he looked over through the barrier, noticing that the other druid had a similar device and was now pulling it away from Lotor's left leg. Lotor was saying something that Sendak couldn't understand, and by the look on his face, he wasn't happy. Then, the druid on Sendak's side walked around to his left and pressed the device to the left side of Sendak's torso, just in the sensitive area above his hip. Again, the device administered a short burst of stinging pain, and Sendak arched his back off of the table in a vain attempt to get away.

The sharp sting was over in an instant and answered by a less intense version on his other side as the other druid did the same to Lotor. Sendak knew it was useless to demand answers about the intention behind these tests, so he merely glared at the druid and then focused his attention on Lotor. Their eyes met as they felt each other’s pain. He couldn’t help but be glad that at least they were together, in a way.

The druids continued their experiments for what felt like hours, not that he could tell, until they were both exhausted. The light in Lotor’s eyes had dimmed significantly but there was still a spark there, an ember. He wished he could hold him close even if it was just for a little while.

When the druids left and his restraints released, he nearly stumbled over himself to get as close to Lotor as possible, but he was still lying on his own table, not moving much. Sendak yelled and banged on the glass. His distress must have gotten Lotor out of his stupor, because he finally sat up and dragged himself to the barrier. These sessions were taking a lot more out of Lotor than him, and he wondered if it was because most of the bond’s properties came from Lotor’s Altean heritage. Regardless, he looked exhausted. “Are you alright?” he asked and signed the words as he did.

Lotor shrugged, slumping into the corner like how he had been sleeping the previous night. He huffed on the glass and halfheartedly wrote out: _Tired. You?_

“I’m alright. You should sleep, Lotor.” He smiled as he signed Lotor’s name. It wasn’t really his name but a combination of the signs for stars and light. “I’ll watch over you.”

Lotor's eyes widened at the signs with his name, and he looked curious about it. Still, when he wrote on the glass again, he simply said: _You sleep too._ He then mouthed, _'I love you,'_ signing along with the words.

Sendak pressed a hand to the barrier and smiled sadly. “I love you too,” he said. “But really, I’ll be fine, this seems to be a lot harder on you, love. I promise I’ll sleep after you do.”

Though Lotor looked unconvinced, he also looked far too tired to protest. He nodded and closed his eyes, tilting his head against the glass as the tension slowly drained from his body. Soon enough, his breathing evened out, and he fell asleep.

Sendak looked at Lotor’s sleeping form for a few more minutes before settling against the glass and passing out himself.

The druids continued their experiments in the next few days, monitoring their reaction to the other’s conditions. They seemed to be interested in what their bond could do, so they performed experiments to determine the extent of its workings. They starved them and made the temperature in their cells unbearably hot or cold, they kept them awake for days, until they were delirious with sleep deprivation, all to determine the nature of their bond. Most of the things didn’t carry, not the way that pain did. The exhaustion could be felt marginally and the hunger pains as well, but not the actual feeling of hunger or fatigue, and the different temperatures mostly just registered as distress. 

Sendak had sat next to Lotor when they’d first tested the temperature. The tips of Lotor’s ears had become pale and he’d asked him if everything was alright. _Cold,_ he wrote against the barrier, his breath nearly fogging it up automatically. He’d worried about Lotor as he shivered, curled up into a tight ball against the barrier.

He’d wished he could hold him and warm him up, but he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get to touch Lotor again. He signed _“I love you”_ instead and watched over Lotor as long as he could.

After a while, the druids seemed to have gotten what they wanted from these experiments and relented, only to take a much more direct interest in Lotor himself, mostly leaving Sendak alone. He watched helplessly as they used their dark power to draw a purple and indigo energy out of Lotor’s body. He yelled and banged on the barrier, but they ignored him as they took almost all of Lotor’s energy and left him on the table, pale and motionless. 

When the restraints opened, Lotor didn’t move, and it took him a full night to stir and a day after to be able to walk again and even longer than that to fully recover. After a few of such horrid displays, they removed Sendak from the chamber and, he could only assume, repeated the process. In the meantime, they placed Sendak in a fairly standard cell until they’d have further use for him. There were several people that came and went, and Sendak pondered what their position in the empire was. Were they in agreement with the druids’ actions? Or were they just as unaware or their experiments as Sendak had once been himself?

Food was brought to Sendak at what seemed to be irregular intervals, and he ate, knowing that refusing them wouldn't help Lotor at all. From what he could tell, nothing could carry over their bond through the walls of that accursed chamber, but on the off chance that something still transferred, Sendak didn't want to add discomfort from hunger to whatever Lotor was experiencing already.

Still, it was hard for Sendak to force food down when he was so worried. The bond felt more faint than ever before; it was so weak and unsteady that Sendak couldn't help but fear it might snap at any moment… along with Lotor’s own life force.

Whenever food did come, it was brought by one of the scientists, and they always took a few observations of him at the same time. At this point, Sendak estimated it had been at least a few days since he'd been put in this cell, and he was tired and nauseated from stress. As the scientist bringing his next meal approached, Sendak growled at him weakly, and he pushed away the offered food when it was set in front of him. The scientist pushed it back toward him, and Sendak glared and growled again, pushing it away more roughly this time. He just couldn't stand the thought of forcing that flavorless goo down his throat when he already felt so nauseous. The scientist backed away, looking uneasy, and Sendak glared as he watched him go.

A few moments later, a guard showed up, and Sendak needed only one glance at his insignia to realize that this was an officer, likely in charge of all of the guards for the lab. His coloration was unusual: red and nearly-white markings against blue fur. Sendak half-wondered if there was some mixed blood somewhere back in his lineage, but of course the officer would deny it if Sendak were to ask. The officer looked down at Sendak, then at the bowl of food which was sitting at the opposite side of the cell. "Is there a problem?" His voice was matter-of-fact, lacking any anger or judgement or threats.

Sendak snarled at the officer. “No,” he said and looked away. He pressed a hand to his chest and focused on his breath, trying to force down the nausea and holding tight to the faint flicker of the bond.

Raising one red-marked brow ridge, the officer picked up the food bowl to examine it for a moment before setting it back in front of Sendak. "If nothing's wrong, then you should eat. The druids want their subjects to have consistent rations. I would prefer not to have to force you."

He looked at the officer disdainfully for a few seconds before looking away again, feeling a strong pang of nausea as he looked at the ration. He knew it was no use, that they’d force the slop down his throat if he refused, but something motivated him to speak anyway. “I can’t,” he whispered, hoping the officer wouldn’t hear him.

The officer frowned, looking uncertainly at it and at Sendak. Finally, his expression settled into one of resolve. "Wait a moment." He closed the cell as he disappeared, footsteps growing quieter as he walked away. When he reappeared moments later, he had a small pouch in hand, which he offered to Sendak. "It's a standard electrolyte drink," he explained, though Sendak could recognize the small drink packet. "Just like getting new recruits to eat the field rations, right?" Indeed, that _was_ a common trick to help military cadets adjust to less-than-appetizing rations. The electrolyte drinks tasted strange in their own right, but they at least had a palatable flavor. Sendak had done the same for struggling recruits under his command during his brief stint as a drill sergeant early in his career.

He eyed the officer suspiciously and then slowly took the electrolyte solution out of his hand and bit into the material, draining the contents. He was hesitant to accept any form of kindness, because it was scarce in these places and usually came as a trick to get prisoners to do things they wouldn’t normally, but the liquid tasted exactly as he remembered. He felt his nausea subside slightly and his head clear. “Thank you.” He couldn’t wrap his mind around the officer’s motivations, but he appreciated the gesture, albeit cautiously.

The officer nodded, taking back the empty pouch and tucking it away in a pocket of his uniform. "I may not always be able to help, but I'll do what I can. Tell no one." He pulled out another packet and showed it to Sendak. "Eat the rations, and then you can have this one to wash it down."

Sendak hesitated before taking the pouch. “Why are you helping me?” Surely it was some strategy to get him to drop his guard or make him complacent. “You have nothing to gain.”

For a long moment, the officer was silent, not quite meeting Sendak's eyes. Finally, he answered, "I know who you were, Lieutenant Sendak. I looked up to you. I find it rather... dishonorable that the Empire would treat one of its best soldiers like this because of circumstances beyond your control."

Sendak involuntarily let out a cold laugh. There was no joy behind it, only bitterness. He didn’t care. It wasn’t like he was ever getting out of here. “Make no mistake, being here is a direct result of my actions. I could have done things differently but I didn’t. The empire isn’t punishing me for circumstances beyond my control, it is punishing me because it has long since lost its honor and everyone is too blind to see it.”

The officer likely had no idea what Sendak was talking about, but it was all the same to him. It felt good to rage about the blatant disregard of Galra culture just because his korpar was half Altean. Sendak maintained eye contact with the guard, refusing to back down.

Silence stretched between them as the officer held Sendak's gaze. There was no challenge in his eyes, only... curiosity, perhaps, or it may have been pity. He kept his voice neutral as he spoke. "No one chooses their korpar." He shook his head. "No one chooses their blood. If your mate were some half-breed of any other race, there would've been other options. The hatred for the Alteans simply runs too deep." He let that hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "Perhaps you believe you made a choice, but I watched the druids set this up and overheard their planning. If you hadn't come when you did, they would've taken your mate out of the chamber and let you feel his pain until you had no choice but to come and to try to rescue him, if only to ease your own pain. You would have come eventually, no matter what. It was the perfect trap."

Sendak froze, looking at the officer with disbelief. He’d assumed that the druids kept their experiments secret from outsiders. He was pretty sure they _did,_ so how had this man come in contact with this information? “Who are you? How do you know that?” Not even Lotor had known of the extent of the druids’ plans to lure him here, and they had nothing to lose in telling him. This officer didn’t seem to have a high enough clearance for it, so how...?

The officer's eyes widened a little, and he stiffened up. "I... I'm Captain Kolivan, and as the head of security for the lab, I have access to all of it. They don't tell me much directly, but they informed me of the trap because they were expecting the half-Altean's soulmate to be another Altean. They wanted me to ensure that my men would not stop such an Altean from reaching the subject, but would stop them from escaping." He looked mildly uncomfortable. "I also tend to... pick up on things that perhaps they didn't intend for me to know. I'm a careful listener."

Sendak’s eyes narrowed but he nodded. “Thank you, Captain,” he said quietly. “I’ll remember this, for what it’s worth.” He looked at Kolivan in silence for a moment and then sighed. He had nothing to lose. “Do you know if he’s— what they’re doing to him... right now?”

Kolivan's expression was hard to read, but it seemed to soften somewhat. "I can't be sure, but I think they're just observing him at the moment. They've been spending very little time in the chamber. Usually, that means they already did a rather drastic test and are watching to see how the subject recovers."

Sendak nodded absently, remembering the way that Lotor hadn’t properly moved for days the first time they did something like this to him. The bond felt even worse this time, more fickle and weak. He looked at the captain again, still wondering about his intentions but grateful all the same. “Thank you, Kolivan.”

"I'm just doing what I can." There was a note of regret in Kolivan's voice. "I only wish I could do more." He started to turn to leave, but then he looked back to Sendak. "What's your mate's name? The druids only refer to him by an experiment designator."

That took Sendak aback. Not because he didn’t want to answer the question, just because he hadn’t expected it. He blinked a few times. “Lotor,” he said finally. “His name is Lotor.”

"Lotor," Kolivan repeated quietly. "I'll remember that." Softer, he added, "I'll remember you both." With that, he stepped out and locked the door again, leaving Sendak alone.

* * *

They left him in his cell for little over a movement, from what he could tell by the irregular eating schedule. It had never taken Lotor this long to recover, and Sendak was sick with worry. When the druids finally came, he was almost glad to see them. Almost. They walked him back to the chamber this time, and the first thing he saw when they opened the door was Lotor on the other side of the barrier, huddled into the corner and hugging his knees to his chest. Lotor blinked wearily as the door opened, but Sendak felt the bond return at full force and he nearly sank to his knees with relief as Lotor sat up slightly. Sendak instantly moved to the barrier to meet Lotor in their corner. He was so worried for him. He pressed both hands to the barrier and took him in, seeing how tired Lotor looked. He took a deep breath. “Are you alright, Lotor?” He signed his name as _starlight_ again, feeling a pang of sadness as he saw how tired he looked, how muted.

Lotor nodded slowly, giving Sendak a weak attempt at a reassuring smile. As usual, he huffed on the glass to fog it up and write his reply. _Drained magic again. Harder to recover without you._ Even such a short message seemed to take a lot of his energy.

Sendak closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the glass. He’d suspected as much, but he hated that he’d been right. “You should sleep, love. Please.” Lotor had to get some more rest, evidently.

Brushing his fingers across the glass in front of Sendak's face, Lotor nodded again and mouthed something that might have been, _'Alright.'_ He settled into the corner again, yawning and blinking heavily. _'I love you.'_

It hurt so much to see Lotor like this when he was usually so full of life. “I love you too. So much.” He settled in next to him and looked over him as he fell asleep, joining him soon after.


	5. Chapter 5

The next couple of days passed rather uneventfully. The druids brought them food and made some observations of them with a few simple tests, but they were otherwise left alone, presumably because the druids were waiting for Lotor to recover. The extra time certainly did help Lotor, and he soon looked like he was doing better. He and Sendak passed their extra time talking as well as they could, and Sendak managed to teach him several more signs. 

Of course, the reprieve could not last long. Two druids entered Lotor's side of the chamber and forced him into the restraints again, and Sendak had to watch helplessly yet _again_ as they drained energy out of him, leaving Lotor pale and weak. The bond between them felt similarly so, and Sendak wished there was something he could do to stop this madness. Why were they continuing to do this to him over and over? What was the point?

The restraints disappeared, but Lotor didn't stir. The two druids left the chamber, and Sendak expected that to be it. He would just have to watch, _again_ , as Lotor struggled to recover. To his surprise, however, the druids entered his side and approached him. _"Come quietly,"_ one of them told him. _"We will take you to the other side of the chamber."_

Sendak froze. This was a trick. This _had_ to be a trick. He’d lost track of how long he’d been here, but in all that time they hadn’t let him touch Lotor once. The druids looked at him expectantly, and he scrambled to his feet. If there was so much as half a chance that they’d let him into the other side, he would take it. They flanked him as they took him out of the chamber and opened the other door. He was expecting them to drag him back, but instead, they just shoved him inside and locked it again.

He was breathing heavily as he approached the table, certain they’d pull him back any second now, but they didn’t. They let him walk to the table unhindered until he was inches away from Lotor. This had to be a dream. Sendak raised his hand and stroked Lotor’s cheekbone with the back of his fingers, fully expecting to pass through his form like a hologram as another one of the druids’ cruel jokes, but his fingers met solid skin.

He took a shaky breath. Lotor was so _cold_. He needed to warm him up. He lifted his prone body off the horrible table and carried him over to the usual spot, sitting down and holding him close. He took a deep breath of Lotor’s scent and sobbed quietly. He never thought he’d get to experience it again. Nuzzling the top of Lotor’s head, he held him closer and let his tears fall freely. He’d forgotten how small he was when he held him, and the pale skin and temperature made him seem all the more frail. He refused to fall asleep for a single second, opting instead to stroke Lotor’s hair and face and focus on his breathing. He pressed kisses to his forehead, still unable to believe that he was holding him.

A few hours passed as the color slowly returned to Lotor's skin and he gradually started to warm up. Finally, he stirred and cracked his eyes open, blinking and looking up in confusion. "Sen... dak?" He pressed one hand weakly to Sendak's chest. "How?"

It was so wonderful to hear his voice after all this time. “They let me over to your side of the chamber. I don’t know why. I assume it’s— another experiment, or because of your recovery period, but I’m very happy that they did.” He held him even closer. “I’ve missed holding you.”

Tears welled up in Lotor's eyes. "I've missed you so much. Your touch, your voice, your energy..." He blinked, and the tears fell. "It's been so hard only being able to see you. It's even worse when they keep taking you away."

Sendak wiped away the tears from Lotor’s face, even as his own fell. “I know, love. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for everything. I hate it when they... take your energy. You look so pale and our bond turns weak, like it might _snap_ at any moment. I can’t bear to see them do that to you.”

"It's not your fault," Lotor said without hesitation. "None of it is." He reached up with a shaky hand and tried to brush away Sendak's tears in return. "If anything, I can take the blame for some of this. I brought this experiment on myself by refusing to cooperate with the Alchemy tests they wanted me to do." Looking up into Sendak's eyes, he sighed. "Perhaps it... wasn’t worthwhile. I didn't mean to worry you like this."

Sendak drew a sharp breath. “They want you to use your Alchemy? Lotor, that would probably leave you in the same state, and they would gain precious knowledge about your abilities. I hate to see you like this so much, but they would just make it worse.”

Lotor closed his eyes, looking pained. "I know, I know, but... being drained like this is so _miserable_ and—and painful in a way merely overworking my abilities is not. I want to... to not hurt like this anymore." He turned his face into Sendak's chest, muffling his voice as he admitted, "It's becoming harder and harder to fight back or hold on against them."

“It hurts? When they drain you? I just feel weaker when they do it. I hadn’t noticed any pain.” He squeezed Lotor’s shoulder again, just to remind himself he was real. “I—I didn’t know.”

"It..." Lotor sighed shakily. "It's not quite like physical pain, more like... the feeling of something _unnatural_ happening to you, having your very core stripped from you. I'm not surprised it doesn't quite translate to you in the same way. You don't have this kind of innate magic, so the sensation of having it stripped away..." 

Sendak felt so helpless, completely at a loss for what he should do, so he just stroked Lotor’s back and held him. “What do they want you to do?”

Lotor shook his head. Staring off at the opposite wall, he took a deep breath before answering, "They want to know my limitations and to see if my abilities are different from a pureblood Altean's. They're especially keen on testing the limits of my chameleon abilities, since I was in my Galra disguise when I was caught, so they already know that I have that capability."

Sendak looked at him, still pale but at least warm now. It was impressive how quickly he’d recovered compared to the other times. He tilted Lotor’s head up and planted a breath of a kiss on his cheek. “How did you get caught, starlight?”

Lotor sat up just enough to return the kiss, lightly brushing his lips along Sendak's jawline. He looked up at Sendak with an expression full of mixed emotions, but regret was strongest in his voice as he began to explain. "I met up with a strike team at a neutral location and gave them a quick briefing on the mission. There's been some tension between me and the others since I stopped returning to our haven, but I assumed they would be professional for the mission.

“There's one girl in particular... she's a great agent in all rights, but she practically eats out of Hira's hand. She questioned the source of my intel, and I told the truth, that you'd given it to me. She quieted down, and I made the mistake of assuming that would be the last of it.

"After we had already started the mission, she started insisting that we couldn't trust the intel and that we needed to go another route. Her proposed alternate route ran right through an area that your intel said was heavily patrolled, so when I saw that about half the group was siding with her, I told everyone to just stick together and do what they wanted.

"I then disguised myself as a soldier patrolling that corridor. When they came by, I opened fire on the other soldiers, ensuring their safe passage but blowing my own cover in the process. I stayed behind to fend off any would-be pursuers, and as I expected, they caught me."

Sendak was speechless. Lotor’s own team had abandoned him after they directly placed him into an impossible situation. It made him angrier than he could say, but he also felt incredibly guilty. It was his intel, after all. “I’m sorry.” He knew it ultimately wouldn’t do either of them any good to think about what could have been. He focused instead on something he could change. “Are you feeling a little better than the other times with me here, at least?” He smiled softly as he said it, trying to lighten the mood.

Lotor snuggled up into Sendak's chest and nodded. "It's a well-established fact that Alteans can regain their inherent power more quickly if they can share energy with their soulmate. And, of course, I feel so much happier simply being with you." He looked up at Sendak and gently cupped his face. "None of this is your fault, alright? None. I made a few mistakes, but I know I cannot take the full blame. There were so many factors that were outside our control, and while it's easy to look back and see things that we could have avoided, we made the choices we did because they seemed best at the time. I don't want you to blame yourself for any of this."

Sendak looked at him for a long moment and sighed. “I’ll try, but sometimes, I can’t help it.” The thoughts kept coursing through his head about how he should have done better, _been_ better. He did his best to force them down. “Tell me about something you love doing,” he said finally. “I want to get away from this place for a while, even if only figuratively.”

Lotor was silent for a moment before he answered, "I love to explore. There are some truly beautiful planets out there. Many of them have no useful resources or strategic value, so the empire leaves them alone for the most part. Those are the best ones, the ones that I'm not afraid of losing anytime soon."

A faint smile came over his face. "There's this one place I found that I would love to take you to. It's on a little-known planet, and there's this one area that's completely uninhabited. The plants there are so beautiful -- the planet's sunlight shines on them and through them, and they shimmer. It gets very warm there, but there are also a lot of streams, and there are some larger plants that provide shade. I've only been there a few times, but I love it."

Listening to Lotor speak of the universe was wonderful. He had retained an innate sense of wonder for the beauty of it and Sendak could listen to him talk for hours. “We’ll go there. Someday we can go there together and you can show me all the things you love about it.” He knew it was a foolish fantasy to entertain but it felt good to pretend they’d ever get out of here, that they’d ever be free.

Lotor nodded, closing his eyes and laying his head on Sendak's chest. "There's also an ancient nebula that's so spread out now that you can fly through it without any issue, and the stardust makes the universe beyond look like a mirage or like some secret treasure hidden by a shimmering veil. I should fly you through there sometime. It's a very surreal experience." His voice was gradually becoming quieter and muddled with sleep, and his body was completely relaxed in Sendak's arms.

Sendak smiled. “We will, starlight.” He pressed a kiss to his forehead, sending him off to sleep. “We will.” He adjusted their positions slowly, resting Lotor on top of him so that their bodies were aligned and leaning back against the wall. He wrapped his arms around Lotor, intending to keep him safe. “I love you,” he whispered and drifted off as well.

* * *

They were asleep, sharing a sense of calm contentment between them through the bond and the next moment the door opened and a druid stepped into the chamber, looking down coldly at Sendak and Lotor. " _Get up. Altean, get on the table. We must examine your progress._ " 

Lotor stiffened, instinctively leaning into Sendak for protection, but he tried to comply. He scrambled off Sendak's lap and got his feet under himself, but as he tried to stand, his legs were too shaky and weak under him. Still, he made another attempt, holding onto Sendak's shoulder to brace himself. The druid watched impassively. " _Galra, carry him to the table, or I will do so myself._ "

Sendak looked at the Druid and felt a pang of fear through the bond. He wanted to resist more than anything, but the thought of Lotor getting harmed in the process kept him from lashing out. 

He put one arm under Lotor’s knees and the other around his shoulders and stood, walking slowly towards that horrible examination table. He didn’t want to place Lotor anywhere near it, but if he didn’t, he was sure the druid would make them both pay for it. With an apologetic look, he sat Lotor down on the edge of the table tucking a few strands of his hair behind his ear, and kissing him softly.

Lotor gave him a weak smile, grabbing his hand and holding onto it. The druid began the examination, lighting up its hands with purple energy and passing them over Lotor's body. He shuddered and tightened his grip on Sendak's hand. After only moments, the druid stepped back. 

_"Excellent. Your energy is recovering much more quickly in the presence of your bonded one. This will be useful when we do the Alchemy tests."_ Lotor's lips pressed into a thin line, but he said nothing. _"If you cooperate, you may be allowed the privilege of recovering in the presence of your bonded one," the druid continued. "Consider carefully before you choose pointless rebellion and suffering."_

Sendak squeezed Lotor’s hands. He desperately wanted to be able to touch Lotor while he was recovering from the things the druids did to him, but he knew that giving them access to Lotor’s Alchemy was a horrible price to pay for that. He gave him a reassuring smile. He’d support whatever choice Lotor would make in this situation and he did his best to convey that without words.

Lotor looked into Sendak's eyes, and his expression was utterly _desperate_ and pleading. He looked torn and conflicted, and he held onto Sendak's hands like a lifeline. _"What do you say?"_ the druid pressed. 

"I..." The tension drained from Lotor, and he looked utterly defeated. "I will cooperate with some tests, if I can perform them. I will have to see on a test-by-test basis." The answer was a way of dodging and yet also complete defeat all at once. The fact that he was giving in at all, even with a qualifier like that, showed clearly how desperate he truly was.

Sendak gently pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around him. “It’ll be alright,” he whispered into his ear. “I’m so sorry you have to go through this.” He looked Lotor in the eyes again and then turned to the druid, scowling. “He’s not recovered yet. He needs more time.”

The druid regarded Sendak coldly. _"We will allow some time for his energy levels to return to normal, but at the rate his energy is regenerating, he should be ready for further tests quite soon."_

Lotor looked unhappy about this development, but he put a hand on Sendak's arm and squeezed lightly. "I understand." Without further comment, the druid turned to leave. As soon as it stepped out, a different one came in and handed them their standard, flavorless meal rations before leaving as well.

Sendak couldn’t keep the growl from escaping him when the druids were gone. He’d never felt so helpless in his life. He closed his eyes and released a sharp breath. “I’m sorry,” he said to Lotor, taking his hand. He hated how defeated he looked and he hated that he couldn’t do anything about it even more. “Do you... want to get off the table?” It was the only thing he could think of that might help right now in any capacity. He needed to do something. Anything. Even if it was something small because he couldn’t bear the thought of doing nothing as Lotor suffered for both of them in a way that he couldn’t even feel.

"Yeah." Lotor pushed himself into a partially upright position, drawing his knees up as well to make it easier for Sendak to lift him. "And please, don't be sorry. You're already doing so much for me."

He picked Lotor up easily and sat down with him in their corner. “It doesn’t feel like enough.” He handed Lotor one of the meal rations. I feel like I should resist or fight or... something. Then I remember what they’d do to you and I can’t bring myself to act.” He held Lotor closer, as if afraid that he might disappear. “It terrifies me.” He paused for a long moment before continuing. “I think they might be scared of you, actually, and they’re very happy I’m here so that they can control you. There’s something about your power that they treat with excessive caution, always sure to outnumber you and keep you contained if you have enough energy.” He squeezed Lotor’s hips. “They treat _me_ as if I’m not even worth a guard, which is slightly insulting,” he teased.

"They underestimate you too much," Lotor agreed. "Honestly, I'm not _that_ powerful. They just overestimate because they don't know my limits. Of course, I tried harder to fight back before they captured you, so that is part of the reason why they're being so cautious."

He took a bite of his food, pulling a disgruntled expression. "When we get out of here, the first thing we should do is go to a nice restaurant. I need real food."

Sendak let out a small breath of laughter. “Yes, we should. I can think of a few places I’d like to try out.” He forced down some of his own food. It was a nice thought to entertain, that they’d get the chance to break out of the druids’ high security lab in the middle of Central Command. “I’ll take you out to dinner, and then we’ll go somewhere nice where we can see the stars.” He could picture it, sitting on a rooftop and looking up at the endless systems decorating the sky with Lotor in his arms, and in that moment he wanted it more than anything.

"That will be nice." Lotor's voice sounded a little distant, almost dreamy. "Enjoying the open air on a peaceful planet without the walls and stale air of a ship..." He went quiet as he ate the rest of his food, setting aside the empty container and re-settling himself on Sendak's lap. "While we're together, you should teach me more of those signs, just... just in case."

Sendak released a long breath but nodded. He didn’t even want to consider the possibility of being separated from Lotor again, but he knew he was right. He stroked Lotor’s side. “Which ones do you want to know, love?”

"I'm curious about that one you do when you say my name." He looked up at Sendak inquisitively. "How did you come up with it? Is there one I can use for your name?"

“I...” He smiled softly. “It’s not... really your name.” He slowly made the sign combination that he used to refer to Lotor. “It means stars and light. Starlight.” He smiled sheepishly. “I don’t really have a sign for my name. I barely ever used the signs before this, and there was never a reason to use my name. It was mostly on missions where stealth was key.”

Lotor chuckled. "Ah, I see. It's still very sweet of you, and I like that nickname." He copied the motion, fumbling with it a couple of times before getting the transition between the two signs smooth. He hummed thoughtfully, looking at his hands as he made the sign a few more times. "I haven't come up with any nicknames for you. In my mind, you're just... Sendak. My lover. My _devoti."_

Sendak hummed. “There isn’t a sign for _devoti,_ but the sign for lover and _korpar_ is actually the same.” He crossed his fists over his chest, making the sign for love, and then lowered his hands at his sides, completing the sign.

Lotor mirrored the motion a couple of times, picking it up very quickly. "Alright, that works." Looking to the side for a moment, he mused aloud, "I wonder if I could turn part of the ritual motions into a sign..." He traced his index fingers over the Altean marks on his cheekbones, then touched them to the base of his neck right above his collarbones, then to the center of his sternum. "This is a ritual sign used to invoke and signify one's internal magic, including a soulmate bond if the person in question has one. Perhaps I could combine the signs somehow to create a sign for _devoti."_

Sendak mirrored the ritual sign. “That’s brilliant. Sign language names are usually combinations of other signs.” He made a smooth transition to the sign for _korpar_. “It can be both. Specifically for us.” He repeated the first part of the sign. _“Devoti_...” He finished it. _“Korpar.”_ Stealing a kiss from Lotor’s lips he whispered: “Perfect.”

Lotor smiled with delight, copying the combined sign. "Yes, it _is_ perfect. Thank you." He leaned in and pulled Sendak down for another kiss. "I love you so much."

He could lose himself in Lotor’s lips, the way they felt against his, the taste of them. “I love you too.” He rubbed his cheek against Lotor’s in what was likely an instinctual gesture. Breathing in Lotor’s scent, he marveled again at how right it felt to have him close. He never wanted to let go, and it hit him suddenly that this was not going to last. Soon the druids would come and take Lotor, and there was nothing he could do about it. He held him closer, as if that would keep time from passing.

Tracing slender fingertips over Sendak's cheekbones, Lotor looked up at him with concern. "You're thinking too hard," he murmured. He brought his hands up and used his thumbs to smooth out the lines of worry between Sendak's eyebrows. "No matter what comes, we'll hang in there. We'll find a way to survive, and we'll always be connected, even if we're apart." There was a note of tension in his voice, like he was trying just as hard to convince himself as to convince Sendak.

Sendak nodded and did his best to smile reassuringly, but his thoughts drifted to the strange chamber they were in, the way he could barely feel Lotor when the doors closed. He wondered what other contraptions the druids might conjure up. But Lotor was right. It would do no good to dwell on it. He focused on Lotor’s eyes instead, their deep blue color nearly glowing in the light of the chamber. He imagined the way they would look if Lotor was happy, the way they would sparkle with amusement. He sighed. “I’m sorry, love, I can’t help it sometimes.“

Lotor nuzzled into Sendak's neck, wrapping his arms around him and holding him tight. "I'm scared too," he admitted softly. "I just don't want to lose hope. Even though it does seem like we'll never be able to escape, perhaps an opportunity will arise later. I simply... for my own sanity, I refuse to believe that we'll be stuck here forever."

Sendak rubbed gentle circles on Lotor’s back, trying to soothe him. “You’re right. We will get out of here, and we’ll do it together.” He pulled back slightly and looked at Lotor again. “You should rest some more. You still feel weak and you look tired. I’ll watch over you.”

"Mmm..." Lotor yawned and nodded, settling himself into a position where he was sitting sideways on Sendak's lap and laying against his chest. "Thank you, love. You should sleep too."

“I’m not tired. I’ll sleep later.” For now, he’d hold Lotor and make sure he slept properly. He wanted to look at him, just in case they’d take him away again. “Rest, love.”

"Alright." Lotor closed his eyes and relaxed into Sendak's steady embrace. "Thank you." Within mere moments, he fell asleep, perfectly relaxed in his lover's arms.

Sendak didn’t sleep. He held Lotor close instead, making sure he slept well, and watched the door.

Barely a few hours had passed when it opened again, revealing a druid. He glared at the creature, knowing exactly what the demands would be and not wanting to comply. _“Get him on the table.”_

“He’s still not ready,” he said, refusing to give in to the druid’s demands. In his arms, he felt Lotor tense as he woke.

 _“I will determine that. Get him onto the table.”_ The druid’s ice cold voice was cruel and left no room for argument.

Sendak looked at Lotor, who had woken up because of the commotion. “Do you want me to carry you or do you think you can stand?”

Lotor side-eyed the druid with clear apprehension, but he slowly moved to get up. "I'll try to walk." His legs were still a little shaky under him, and he held onto Sendak for support, but he managed to stand up. He looked over to Sendak. "Can you help? I just need you to stabilize me."

Sendak shot up and was behind Lotor in an instant, wrapping an arm around his waist and holding his hand for support. He led him to the table and helped him onto it. The druid moved to the other side of the table and examined Lotor. _“He’s ready,”_ the cold voice said.

Sendak drew in a sharp breath. Lotor could hardly stand, and they wanted him to perform _Alchemy?_ “He’s not. He needs more time. Come back tomorrow.”

Lotor sighed heavily. "My abilities are not at their peak yet. Wouldn't that interfere with your results?"

The druid was unfazed by their arguments. _"The first few experiments do not require you to be at full strength. Now, show us your shapeshifting. Disguise yourself as a Galra."_

After looking to Sendak uncertainly, Lotor closed his eyes and complied. His skin shifted to a lavender tone that matched his Altean marks, and when he opened his eyes again, they were solid gold.

 _"Excellent. Now hold that form."_ The druid examined Lotor again, passing glowing hands over his body. Lotor shuddered and grabbed Sendak's hand for support.

Sendak could only hold his hand as the druid performed the test and watch helplessly as Lotor suffered through it. Soon he couldn’t take it anymore. “That’s enough.”

The druid paused and looked at him. _“Hold your tongue or I’ll have it removed. I don’t need you to be able to speak to share your energy with him. We’re done here. I will return for him in the morning when he is fully recovered.”_ Lightning crackled at the druid’s hands and touched it to Lotor’s throat, making Sendak grunt at the pain. _“That is for your insolence.”_

Lotor tensed and squeezed Sendak's hand. When the druid stopped and finally left, he only slowly relaxed his grip, letting his disguise fade away at the same time. He blinked up at Sendak with his natural blue eyes. "I can take it," he said quietly. "Please don't give them any reason to hurt you. I need you."

Sendak was breathing heavily. “I’m sorry, I—I didn’t want them to hurt you. I couldn’t watch it. That _thing_ was going to push you way too far and make it hurt and I just couldn’t watch.” He shook his head slowly. “I need you too, Lotor, and I can’t stand by as they do this to you.” He took Lotor’s face in his hands and pressed their foreheads together. “I’m so sorry they hurt you more because of it. I just don’t know what to do, I’ve never felt so helpless in my life.”

Lotor brought his own hands up to Sendak's cheeks to hold him close. "I'm alright. I appreciate what you were trying to do, and I know it's because you care. Thank you for looking out for me." He let go and carefully maneuvered himself into a sitting position. "The examination was highly uncomfortable, but it wasn't beyond what I could handle. I've learned how to take a lot. I'm not afraid of a little pain." He placed a hand on Sendak's shoulder. "However, if it _does_ become too much for me, I'll ask for it to stop, I promise. At that time, if there's anything you think you could do to help, I would welcome it."

Sendak nodded. He hated even letting it get to that point, but there was nothing he could do about it. “Alright. I trust you to know yourself.” He wrapped an arm around Lotor’s shoulders and stroked his thigh with the other hand. “Did they take a lot out of you? Can you walk? Do you even want to?”

"I think I _could..."_ Lotor looked up a little sheepishly. "I'd rather have you carry me, though. I always like it."

Sendak smiled at Lotor. He likes it too, especially since Lotor was so much smaller than his previous partners and it was incredibly easy to lift him. He picked him up and placed him on his lap again. _Where he belonged,_ a part of him supplied. He still found Lotor’s camouflage abilities to be incredibly interesting despite the trouble they were putting both of them in right now. Seeing Lotor as a Galra reminded him of that. He remembered the way Lotor’s hair had been braided when they’d met at the club. Running a hand through the soft strands he asked tentatively: “Can I... braid it?”

Lotor settled in easily and glanced back at Sendak, smiling over his shoulder at him. "Sure, that would be lovely. I've always enjoyed having someone else style my hair. You will need to comb it out with your fingers a little first; I haven't exactly had a hairbrush handy or anything with which to care for it properly, and I'm afraid it _is_ rather oily at this point." He looked a little sheepish, shrugging one shoulder.

Sendak combed his claws through the strands. “You’re still the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.” He carefully caressed Lotor’s scalp as he combed his hair. Once he had it combed out, he divided it up and began weaving it together in the same style he’d seen Lotor wear that night. He wasn’t terribly familiar with braiding, but he’d observed fellow soldiers do it for years, so he knew the mechanics. He realized he had nothing to tie it off with, but it was staying in place for now. He’d just wanted an excuse to play with Lotor’s hair and allow him to relax a little. “You don’t happen to have a tie?” He was still smiling softly.

Lotor chuckled and shook his head. "Unfortunately, no." He reached up and felt the braided style, running his hands lightly over it. "I wish I had a mirror to look at it, but it feels like you did it perfectly. Thank you."

Sendak pulled Lotor into his arms and kissed his cheek. “I wanted to do this after our night together, but I had to leave too suddenly. I’m glad I get to do it now, despite everything.”

"You're such a romantic," Lotor teased lightly, smirking and leaning into Sendak's embrace. "Cute nicknames, heartfelt declarations of affection, literally sweeping me off my feet, and now this? How is a pragmatic and not-sentimentally-inclined person like me supposed to keep up?” His smirk softened into a gentler smile. “You seem to be this never-ending wellspring of charm and affection, along with all of the attention and devotion I could ever want. The universe really decided to make the perfect lover when it made you."

Sendak’s heart raced at Lotor’s words and his face heated. “I—“ he cleared his throat. “I never realized how much I wanted to do these things until I met you. I’ve never done anything like this because it never felt right, but with you... It’s almost second nature.” He kissed the top of Lotor’s head, one of his favorite things to do since It was always at the perfect height for him to reach. “Besides, you’re rather romantic yourself, even if you don’t notice it.”

"Is that so?" Lotor chuckled. "I thought I was just constantly soaking up all the affection you could give." He turned around, wrapping his legs around Sendak's waist and pressing their chests together until there was no space separating them. Softer, he added, "I just want to be as close as possible to you."

Sendak couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Something about Lotor just made him forget his worries enough to enjoy these moments fully. They had each other and for now that was all that mattered.

He held Lotor close and tilted his chin up to capture his lips in a gentle kiss. “The feeling is mutual.” Running his hands down his sides, he came to a rest at Lotor’s waist and squeezed playfully. He didn’t want to _do_ anything here, not when a druid could come in at any minute, not when Lotor deserved so much better, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t hold Lotor close and cover his face and neck in bruising kisses.

Lotor smiled fondly, looping his arms around the back of Sendak's neck. He pressed a kiss to Sendak's cheek, then another, slowly moving towards Sendak's mouth until he finally captured his lips in a soft kiss. When he pulled back, there was something wistful in his eyes. "I wish we were still in that borrowed apartment, alone together and comfortable and free to explore each other as much as we wanted. I wish that night had never ended."

Sendak’s heart ached at the memory of that perfect night, the way time seemed to have stood still for them even as it raced away. He pulled Lotor back in for a kiss. “We will have many more just like it,” he said with a smile. “And we won’t have to sneak around in strange apartments.” When he said it like that, he could almost believe himself.

"You're right." Lotor smiled and stole another little kiss as he brought his hands up to the fur on the back of Sendak's head. "We'll have our own room, and we'll be able to stay there all day as well as all night if we want, and nothing's going to come between us." Laying his head on Sendak's shoulder, Lotor asked softly, "Do Galra get married? Is there some sort of ceremony for someone to confirm their connection with their _korpar?"_

Sendak stroked Lotor’s back gently. “Yes. Galra take marriage very seriously. Next to the connection between _korpares,_ it is our most sacred bond. Galra marry for love and nothing else. Some tend to wait until they meet their _korpar_ and some never marry, but those that do aim to spend the rest of their lives and after with their partner.” Sendak paused, contemplating the specifics. It wasn’t something he’d thought about much until recently. _“Korpares_ are already more than married due to their bond in our culture, but they tend to do it nonetheless, mostly to announce their bond.” He loved holding Lotor like this, as if they’d never have to be apart again. “Do Alteans? Or is it different?”

Lotor hummed, pausing for a moment before answering. "Marriage for Alteans is very... official, I suppose. For most, it is an honor reserved only for soulmates. Altea had legal provisions for domestic partners who were unmarried mostly because of this, allowing couples who did not want to officially get married due to not being soulmates to still have all of the legal and monetary benefits of marriage. Marriage was _allowed_ between non-soulmate couples, but it typically only happened in cases where both partners had found and subsequently lost their soulmates to death.

"The exception was, of course, political marriages." There was a note of disdain in his voice at that. "Because marriage was permanent, it was occasionally used for political purposes, and the married couple could not separate even if one or both later found their soulmates. Of course, in situations like that, a sort of... permissible adultery ensued, as all involved typically acknowledged that keeping soulmates apart is incredibly cruel." He stopped there, letting that statement hang in the air.

Sendak pulled him a little closer instinctually. “The empire no longer respects its people’s culture. _This_ would have been unthinkable some years ago, but the empire...” he recalled the captain’s words to him in his cell. “The hatred for the Alteans runs too deep, even deeper than the respect for our ancient traditions. And the druids—” he shook his head. “I’m not even sure _what_ they are, but they have no regard for ethics of any kind.” There was silence for a long moment until Sendak broke it again. “Do you want to get married?” It wasn’t really something he’d ever thought about but it sounded... nice. Entertaining the idea that they didn’t have to hide it felt good, if a bit foolish.

Lotor sat up enough to look Sendak in the eyes as he smiled softly and nodded. "Yes, that would be lovely. Even if we can't have a proper ceremony, it would still be nice to officially declare for ourselves that we intend to stay together forever." He brought his hand up to the side of Sendak's face, cupping it gently. "I love you so much."

Sendak leaned into the touch. “I love you too.” He leaned his forehead against Lotor’s and closed his eyes. “Marrying you sounds perfect.” Stealing a few kisses from Lotor’s lips he smiled as he thought of it. “How would you want to do it?”

"Hmm..." Lotor smiled, staring off just over Sendak's shoulder as he seemed to consider it. "I imagine it would just be us. We could go out to a quiet planet and find a lovely spot just for us. We would say our vows to each other, and afterwards we could have a picnic with all our favorite foods..." He looked back to Sendak, smiling a little sheepishly. "Unless you have a different idea?"

“Anywhere with you, I don’t care where. I don’t have anyone I’d declare our union to, not anymore, so I’d just want you there.” He pulled Lotor closer. “I think we should do that. Afterwards we can look at the stars when it gets dark and hold each other. Well, _you_ can look at the stars, _I’ll_ be looking at you.” He could almost picture it. “I don’t really care so long as I get to be with you.”

Lotor chuckled and nuzzled into Sendak's neck. "Maybe I'll look at the stars, or maybe I'll just close my eyes and enjoy the feel of you, like this." He took a deep breath and let it out in a content little sigh as he settled in against Sendak's chest.

Sendak smiled broadly. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re incredibly cute when you’re so tactile and affectionate?” He ran his hands over Lotor’s back and planted a kiss on the top of his head. “Do I have the honor of being the first to say so?”

"You are certainly the first," Lotor confirmed, sounding amused. "I've never really had a _romantic_ partner before, at least not a serious one. I briefly attempted relationships with a couple of the other Alteans when we were adolescents, but nothing lasted for any notable amount of time. Since then, I've only really had sexual encounters." Softer, he added, "This is really nice."

Sendak smirked. He didn’t care how many partners Lotor had had before him, but being his first romantic partner certainly made him want to hold Lotor close and spoil him. “It is,” he affirmed softly. “I’d usually think of how I’d make you squirm and cry out, and I still do, obviously, but it’s second to the way you fit in my arms, the way your voice sounds when you smile and how it lights up your eyes. It’s quite overwhelming, if I’m being honest.”

Lotor buried his face further in Sendak's neck. "You can't just say things like that," he grumbled, but it was clear from his voice that he was actually pleased. "This is what I was talking about before when I mentioned what a romantic you are. Are you _trying_ to make me flustered?"

“Maybe...” he admitted. “Maybe I also enjoy the way you are when you’re flustered.” He nuzzled the top of Lotor’s head and lightly ran his claws over his spine. “I love the way you look as if it’s the first time someone caught you off guard.”

Lotor laughed lightly. "You _do_ catch me off guard. I'm not used to this kind of affection." He wrapped his arms around Sendak's waist. "But I definitely appreciate it."

They stayed like that for a while, simply enjoying holding each other. Sendak pressed the occasional kiss to Lotor’s head almost instinctively. “Do you feel a bit better? Is it better if I hold you through it, or is it inconsequential?” He wanted to hold Lotor regardless but if he could recover more easily he’d make sure to help as much as he could.

"I always feel better when you hold me," Lotor answered easily. "And yes, physical contact does help. It could be as simple as holding hands, but I like this even more." He lightly stroked Sendak's sides and what he could reach of his back. "When you hold me, it's like... like the rest of the world fades away. For as long as close my eyes and focus on your touch and scent, I can forget about our circumstances, because the only thing that matters is you."

Sendak smiled as he brushed a stray strand of Lotor’s hair that had escaped the braid behind his ear. “And you pretend you’re not romantic,” he said with a teasing lilt. “I know what you mean, though. Everything feels _right_ when I’m holding you, no matter the outside factors.”

"Mmm, well, I suppose you must be rubbing off on me," Lotor teased back. He squeezed Sendak around the waist to hold him tighter. "I love you so much."

Sendak’s heart skipped a beat, as it did every time Lotor said those words. “I love you too.” He was content holding Lotor like this, rubbing his back gently. He didn’t want to think about anything other than this little space and time they’d carved out for each other. It felt as if no one could touch them here, even if he knew that was not true.

* * *

They were awake this time, having slept peacefully for a while before waking up on their own. Sendak was teaching Lotor a few more signs, helping him to expand his vocabulary. Then, a druid came in, causing them both to freeze in fear, eyeing it nervously. _"Altean, on the table,"_ it ordered, and Lotor scrambled to his feet to comply. This time, Lotor's steps were steady enough, and he made his way to the table without assistance. He climbed onto it and then looked back, reaching one hand toward Sendak.

Sendak eyed the druid suspiciously but got up and grabbed Lotor’s hand, squeezing reassuringly. The druid seemed unfazed by his presence and began doing the same energy-sensing ritual as before. “Alright?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

Lotor squeezed Sendak's hand tightly and shivered again, but he nodded all the same. "I'm fine." 

After a long moment, the druid finished up and stepped away. _"We want to test your ability to output energy of your own accord. Activate your powers."_

Looking resigned, Lotor sat up and gave Sendak's hand a reassuring little squeeze before letting go. "Back up a little," he told him quietly. Then, Lotor held his hands out in front of him with space between his palms. His marks began to glow as blue energy collected between them, forming a bright, glowing ball. As it grew larger and more intense, Lotor's eyes began to glow as well, though they glowed more of a purple-indigo color.

 _"Very good. Hold that."_ The druid seemed to examine the ball of energy, even pulling some of it out and... absorbing it? Finally, it seemed satisfied. _"Stop. Save the rest of your energy for the second test."_

Lotor pulled the ball of energy into himself, and he shuddered violently for a tick. The glowing then slowly faded from his marks and his eyes, leaving him looking worn out.

Sendak rushed back to his side and took his hand again. He hated seeing Lotor like this and he wanted to _do_ something about it, but the way the druid had hurt Lotor last time he’d interfered was still fresh in his mind. He brought Lotor’s hand up to his lips and kissed his knuckles. He’d be there for him throughout this ordeal and when it was over. It was all he could do. “I love you,” he breathed against Lotor’s hand so that only he might hear. “Are you still with me, baby? Still alright?”

Lotor nodded slightly. "No pain. I'm more physically exhausted than anything else. Just need a nap." He managed a weak smile before he covered his mouth to ineffectively hide a yawn. 

A second druid came into the room holding a tiny object of some kind, and Lotor snapped to awareness, staring at it intensely. The druid laughed coldly. _"You recognize it, then."_

"I won't tell you anything about it," Lotor said firmly, sitting up straight. 

_"We already know it's a Compass Stone,"_ the first druid said, _"and we know it can lead a worthy Altean to Oriande."_ Lotor shook his head, but the druids ignored his protests. The second druid stepped forward and pressed the stone into Lotor's free hand. _"This is the second experiment. Simply activate the stone, and you will be allowed to rest for a few day-cycles."_

The look in Lotor's eyes went from indecisive to determined. He glanced at Sendak and whispered ever so quietly, "I'm sorry." Then, pulling away, he stood up, cradling the stone in both hands. He closed his eyes, and then... He threw the stone to the floor, and it shattered into pieces.

Sendak’s eyes widened and he gasped as the pieces of the artifact scattered across the floor, now completely useless. Time seemed to stand still as the pieces stopped moving. The druids whirled and fixed their masked gazes directly on Lotor, hissing angrily.

Before he could think much about it, Sendak placed himself between them and Lotor. He knew that the object had likely been irreplaceable, or close to it, and that Lotor must have had a good reason for shattering it. The druids would punish them both, and he was prepared to take the brunt of it so that Lotor didn’t have to, not in this weakened state. 

He glared down a druid who raised a hand in return. _“You will come to regret that.”_ Its dark power slammed into Sendak, and every nerve felt like it was on fire. A scream reverberated throughout the small chamber, but then suddenly the druid was knocked back. Lotor was standing next to Sendak, his entire body glowing with an aura of indigo-purple energy as he stepped forward. The druids switched their attacks to him, and he countered with glowing light of his own. He looked furious, but Sendak could sense through their bond that this was taking a lot out of him. 

Lotor fought furiously, but one druid shocked him, then another, and his own energy faltered and flickered. The druids quickly overwhelmed him, shocking him with painful energy until he collapsed. One then turned its attention to Sendak, shocking him again directly. For a few ticks, there was a burning pain, and then unconsciousness took him, and he felt nothing at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment and kudos if you're enjoying it! 💕


	6. Chapter 6

When Sendak woke up, his head was pounding relentlessly. It took him a moment to open his eyes, but when he did, he realized that he was back on his side of the chamber. He looked over to where Lotor was still lying on the table and nearly fell over himself. He looked so pale and lifeless. The bond was a barely-there flutter deep in his chest, affirming that Lotor was still alive but not by much. He could barely move, but he forced himself into an upright position to get a clearer view of his soulmate. Lotor was fastened to the table with what looked like more sturdy restraints than before. The druids weren’t going to let him move around again soon, he suspected. 

He understood why Lotor had done it, he would have done the same in his position, but he couldn’t suppress his fear for him. What if they never let him recover enough to move? What if they broke apart his mind with their dark powers? Sendak felt nauseous at the thought.

Countless time passed with nothing to mark it until the next time a druid came in. Sendak tensed, expecting some horrible experiment, but it simply gave him the usual rations and left. He set them aside, too worried to eat at the moment but knowing that he should try to choke them down later if he could. Shortly thereafter, a druid entered on Lotor's side. It checked his energy again, and Lotor did not react in any way, which unnerved Sendak. Then, the druid slipped some kind of tube into Lotor's mouth and poured liquid down it before removing the tube and leaving again. 

By Sendak's estimation, on the second day, Lotor managed to stir a little, weakly looking over at him. Sendak dared to hope that he might recover soon, but the druids came in shortly thereafter and drained his energy again. They brought another meal and warned Sendak to eat this time, or else they would force-feed him with a tube as well. He picked at the rations and managed to choke down half of it.

Meals were brought again. A third day? It seemed like ages between each meal, but perhaps it wasn’t so long after all. Or perhaps it was longer. It also didn’t feel consistent between each time.

On the... fourth day? Fifth? It was impossible to tell. But certainly at least a few meal-cycles after Lotor broke that artifact, the door opened on Lotor's side, and the person who stepped in wasn't a druid. She was Altean, much shorter than Lotor, with pale skin and long red hair braided back. Another Altean stepped in after her, a taller man with dark skin and darker hair. 

The woman rushed to Lotor's side and pressed glowing hands to both sides of his head. Sendak was worried at first, but he felt a sense of... soothing and calm through the bond. Whatever she was doing, it was stabilizing Lotor. When she pulled her hands away, Lotor still did not stir, but his skin had more color again. 

While the man set to work using some strange device to break the bonds, the woman walked up to the barrier, staring at Sendak intently. She said something that Sendak couldn't catch, but he thought he saw the word _soulmate_ at the end of her statement. Behind her, the man looked up suddenly and frowned, calling out something that caused the woman to look angry. She gestured to Sendak and then to Lotor, appearing to argue with the man.

Sendak stood shakily and tapped on the barrier. He knew they couldn’t hear him, but maybe he’d draw their attention with his movements. If they were here to get Lotor out, they had to know that he’d never be safe if Sendak was still trapped here. He couldn’t be separated from him again. He _couldn’t._ The woman was looking at him now, and he touched his index fingers to the place where Altean marks would be, then to the base of his neck, and then to his sternum. Finally, he pointed at Lotor. “Please. I can help him.”

The woman's eyes widened, and she turned back toward the man, saying something else to him and gesturing pointedly. The man, however, simply continued cutting the last of Lotor's restraints. He gathered up Lotor's form into his arms and looked at the woman sternly, his expression leaving no room for argument. Looking wholly apologetic, the woman mouthed the word _sorry_ before turning toward the door. The man carrying Lotor left, and the woman followed, glancing back at Sendak once more.

Sendak could feel the bond growing faint as Lotor was carried out of the confines of the chamber. “No! Wait!” He pressed his hands against the barrier. “Please! Please you have to—“ He released a shaky breath and closed his eyes briefly before looking at the woman again. They had no time, he realized, the druids would come and then they’d all be prisoners, and Lotor couldn’t take much more of this treatment. 

A mere few seconds had passed, but they felt like lifetimes even as he made his choice. He made eye contact with the woman, the only hope for Lotor’s survival, and nodded. “Save him,” he said. “And tell him... tell him it’s alright. I’ll be alright. And...” he made a few motions with his hands, hoping the Altean would remember them. _I love you, starlight._ He couldn’t keep the tear from escaping his eye. “Go,” he said at last and then leaned his forehead against the barrier.

The woman's face was grim but sympathetic as she nodded. She tried to tell him something he couldn't make out, and then she slipped out of the chamber. As it turned out, there really hadn't been the time. It couldn't have been more than a dobosh after they left before a druid entered that side, scanning the room and then glaring coldly at Sendak.

Sendak glared back at it, snarling, but it was mostly for show. He knew he was going to die here, and since the druid wasn’t back with Lotor, the Alteans hadn’t gotten caught. This was a victory. This was it. There was no hope of escaping this place, not that there ever really was, so all that was left to do was die. _We’ll be together in the After._ He hoped Lotor’s words were true. He just had to wait for him.

The druid left, and to Sendak's surprise, none of them came into his side. He waited for a while with nothing to do but wonder when they were going to return for him. They would, he was sure. The only question was when. A varga must have passed before two druids came into Sendak's side of the chamber. One held a pair of handcuffs and advanced on Sendak while the other stepped closer in unison, the two working together to corner him.

Sendak eyed each druid. He was still in the chamber and he could only assume that they’d take him out to let Lotor feel his pain. He couldn’t let that happen, couldn’t let them give Lotor a reason to return. He braced himself. 

When the first druid moved, so did he. Whirling around, he made to grab the creature’s hand. The druids were usually impossible to get a hold of, but this one hadn’t expected him to fight back so directly. It dropped the handcuffs as Sendak twisted the hand and punched its gut. He felt his fist connect with something solid, and he was allowed a small moment of triumph before lightning slammed into his back and he dropped to his knees. The druid he’d attacked was above him in an instant, pressing its claws into Sendak’s throat hard enough to draw blood. _Just a little further,_ he thought and leaned into it. _Just a little._ But he wouldn’t receive what he wanted. 

The druid seemed to realize what it was doing and pulled back, leaving Sendak gasping for breath. _So close._ That had been his chance, he realized. The druid raised its hand, still coated in Sendak’s blood, to level with his head. The last thing he saw was lightning being shot at him point-blank.

* * *

The first thing Sendak was aware of when he awoke was heavy restraints pinning him down. The table under him felt similar to the one that had been in the chamber, but the room around him was definitely different. There were strange machines all around, and a few devices made random noises, the occasional beep or whirr that sounded too loud after the total silence of the chamber. He wasn't in pain yet, but he was sure that was going to change soon. 

Sure enough, it didn't take long at all before a druid noticed that he was awake and leaned over him, examining him. It motioned over another one. _"The subject is ready. We shall begin the energy erosion test, phase 1."_

The other druid placed its hands on the lower part of his left arm, and a truly bizarre and painful sensation emanated from the point of contact. It wasn't the same as the lightning, but it hurt almost as much, and it felt somehow more _invasive,_ like something was crawling under his skin that should not have been there.

The sensation sharpened into something like hooks under his skin, tearing and pulling his flesh apart, but when he looked down at his arm, there were no signs of it. It was just the invasive sensation and the sense that something was _wrong._ The worst part was that he could feel the bond, much stronger than it had been for a while. They were putting Lotor through this as well. 

He tried moving his left hand but he couldn’t even flex his fingers. It was as if his nerves were being cut off, but instead of numbness, it was a sharp ache. The druid removed its hands from his arm and stepped back, but the pain didn’t stop. “What is this? What are you doing to me?”

 _"It is a process that only we know how to reverse,"_ the druid who had done it told him.

The other one appeared to be making notes in a datapad, but it looked up from the screen to explain, _"If the half-Altean wishes to stop the pain, he must turn himself in. It may also cause loss of sensation in his matching arm, though we will have to see if that is the case when he returns."_

Sendak snarled and jerked at his restraints but the druids were already leaving and the door hissed shut. He continued to pull at the bonds for a while, but they didn’t budge. He couldn’t allow them to get a hold of Lotor again. Who knew what they’d do to him? And then all this would be for nothing. 

He didn’t know how long it was until the restraints released, but when they did, he didn’t hesitate to sit up and inspect his arm. There was still no real feeling in it except for constant pain. He doubted he’d get much sleep that night, but he made his way into the corner of the room and sat down regardless. He clutched his hand to his chest and tried to focus on other things, on how Lotor was safe, but the pain down to his bones made it impossible to distract himself.

Some time passed. This room appeared to be synced with the ship's day-cycle, so the lights dimmed after a while to indicate curfew. The activity he could hear in the hall outside the room lessened, but it did not stop. Suddenly, the door opened, and Sendak looked up to see the familiar face of Kolivan. He was carrying what appeared to be standard rations, which he set in front of Sendak along with an electrolyte drink pouch. "I'm sorry there wasn't more I could do," he said quietly. "The druids watched you too closely while you were in that chamber. When the Alteans broke in, I fumbled my team's response on purpose to give them a little more time, but I didn't realize until after they were gone that they hadn't managed to free you as well." He motioned to the rations. "I mixed in a standard pain reliever. It won't do much, but it might take the edge off enough for you to sleep. You'll need your energy."

Sendak was happy to see the man again, despite everything, though he still couldn’t understand why Kolivan was doing this. “Thank you, Captain,” he said. “That is very kind.” He took the ration and made quick work of it, following it up with the drink. He could already feel the painkillers kicking in and he sighed gratefully. “I’m just glad he’s safe.” He wasn’t sure why he said it, but the words rang true, and he had nothing to lose by telling Kolivan. “They were killing him,” he whispered, and his voice sounded as if he couldn’t accept the mere idea, even to him. He prodded his stiff arm but didn’t feel anything beyond a vague pressure. It felt as if the pain was spreading upward at a creeping pace, and he didn’t want to consider the implications.

"I hope you're right." Kolivan picked up the empty containers. "They seem certain that he will return, though. I'm under orders to allow him to sneak in and then to ensure he can't get out. It's a trap, just like how we caught you." He started heading toward the door, but then he paused. "If he does return—" He cut himself off and shook his head, looking conflicted. "I don't know what I will do." With a few more steps, he reached the door, and he glanced back at Sendak. "Whatever I can, I suppose." Then, he left, closing the door behind him and leaving Sendak alone in the dim room.

Sendak settled against the wall and tried to get some sleep, which proved difficult even with the pain medication. He’d known the druids were setting up another trap, they’d practically told him themselves, but he hoped that Lotor wouldn’t fall for it. He knew it was futile. Even if he hadn’t known his _korpar_ for very long, certainly not as long as he’d like, he knew that Lotor was much too stubborn and brave. He could only hope the druids killed him before Lotor was able to come after him. Eventually he drifted off to sleep, still clutching his immobile hand and hoping that Lotor wouldn’t come.

* * *

The lights slowly shifted from the truly dim lighting of the night cycle to the somewhat brighter light of the day cycle. Sendak woke up slowly, still groggy from a lack of sleep. The pain medication had worn off, and his arm ached and nearly burned, preventing him from falling back asleep. Before long, two druids stepped into the room, regarding him coldly. Sendak had no way to know if they were the same two or different ones, but it didn't matter. All the druids were the same. _"Get onto the table,"_ one commanded him, _"or else we will painfully incapacitate you and force you onto it."_

Sendak blinked at them a few times, trying to decide what to do. He knew they were going to force him onto the table regardless, but that was inconsequential. If he resisted they’d torture him, and if he didn’t they would as well. There wasn’t a way out. He debated fighting them out of spite, but he was tired and his arm was of no use to him. It wouldn’t make any difference either way, so he sat down on the table and eyed the druids wearily.

One of them made him lay down, not being too forceful but not exactly being gentle either. The two druids then strapped him down with the restraints, everywhere except his left arm. For a few doboshes, the two druids simply examined his arm. One then shaved away a patch of fur and exposed the skin underneath. _"The skin is darker where the energy has spread,"_ it declared while the other took notes, and Sendak looked down as well as he could and found that the shaved patch was indeed changing from his natural pale purple skin to a much darker color. Then, that druid put its hands back on his arm, and while he couldn't feel the lower part of it anymore aside from a constant burning ache, he could feel that sensation spreading upwards much faster. It crawled up past his elbow and into his upper arm, feeling much more intense in these new areas, and it was all he could do not to scream from the much sharper pain.

They left him like that, writhing and breathing heavily. Sendak didn’t even notice when the door hissed shut. Eventually the restraints unlocked and he sat up slowly, every inch of him shaking. He should just stay put, he wasn’t sure if he could move either way and he felt nauseous, but he couldn’t stand the feeling of the table beneath him, so he got up and made it to his corner before collapsing. The pain was so much worse now that the adrenaline had worn off. He couldn’t bear looking at his arm, at the spot of dark skin, so he stared at the wall, trying to moderate his breathing. He was so tired. He just wanted it to end, he wanted to rest.

It wasn’t long until the captain came this time but Sendak barely noticed him, still staring at the wall. Kolivan was quiet as he came closer, making no sudden movements, like he was approaching a scared animal. He gingerly set down rations and another drink pouch. "I doubled the dose of painkillers," he said, keeping his voice low. "I can't stay long, but I didn't want to make you wait."

His voice somewhat snapped Sendak out of his stupor and he looked over at him, his eyes not fully focusing. At this point he’d much prefer the captain’s blaster to the painkillers, but some part of him appreciated them all the same. He finally met Kolivan’s eyes and saw that they were full of regret and grief. He shouldn’t say anything, but at this point he had nothing to lose. He stared at the rations that the captain had laid out for him. “If he...” He didn’t even want to say it, couldn’t say it. He took a deep breath. “Please,” he whispered. “Don’t let them.” He didn’t even know if Kolivan understood but he couldn’t bring himself to say more. Somehow that made the possibility real.

Kolivan's expression was conflicted, and he was quiet for a long moment. Finally, he just pushed the rations closer to Sendak. "Hurry and eat. I need to ensure that no one finds and inspects the containers."

Sendak looked away and nodded. He took the container and ate despite his nausea and used the drink pouch to wash away the taste. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s unfair of me to ask something like that of you. You’ve done more than enough I just... I don’t know what to do.” He could barely hear his own voice.

Kolivan gathered up the empty containers, but he didn't move to leave yet. "I just don't know what I _can_ do," he admitted. "I'll stop him from returning if possible, but if he gets here regardless, I fear that even my best efforts are unlikely to be able to save him." He sighed heavily, like a terrible weight was on his shoulders. "I'll do whatever I can, though. I can promise you that much."

Sendak met his gaze. He’d expected to see pity in his eyes, maybe even apology, but there was only determination. He kept his eyes fixed on him for a while and finally nodded. “Thank you, Kolivan.” The pain medication was beginning to set in and Kolivan hadn’t lied about the more concentrated dose. Sendak had to lean his head against the wall to keep it upright. He felt numb and tired and he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Kolivan was gone, and the lights had brightened again.

The druids came again, inspecting his arm and causing the strange, burning sensation to creep up even higher, almost to his shoulder. The already-shaved patch of skin was even darker now, nearly black, and the druids shaved another patch higher up to show that it too was darkening. Sendak was so tired that he could hardly be alarmed at this point. He just stayed silent through it all until the druids left and the table released him again, and he crawled yet again into the corner. Kolivan came that night with an even stronger dose of painkillers than before, and they exchanged only a few words before the drug took effect and mercifully rendered Sendak unconscious.

As the day-cycle came again, so did the druids. The first patch on Sendak's arm was almost pure black now, and when the druids tugged only lightly on the fur around it, it fell out easily, revealing more blackened flesh. It looked awful and unnatural, but Sendak could only distantly acknowledge that it was happening. He couldn't even feel his arm, and he was starting to feel disconnected from his body altogether as his mind tried to block out the ever-increasing pain. Again, the druids caused the burning to spread higher, taking over his entire shoulder now. 

When the lights began to dim again, Sendak watched the door from his spot in the corner, waiting for Kolivan to return. He knew he needed the pain relievers to have any chance at all of being able to sleep, and he wanted so desperately to pass out and forget, even if only until morning. As the door opened, however, a helmeted soldier stepped in, one who was far too short and slender to be Kolivan. He crossed the room in a few quick paces and sank to his knees. When he spoke, his voice was all too familiar. _"Devoti,"_ Lotor murmured under his breath. "Let's get you out of here."

Sendak gasped in shock as all his wits, everything he’d tried to tune out, came back to him at once. _Lotor._ He shook his head. “You need to leave. Right now. They’ll never let you go again, you need to _leave.”_ His voice was a low murmur but it was frantic. Lotor couldn’t be here. If he had to see him on a table again... he couldn’t take it.

“Please. You’re faster without me. I can hardly move. This is a trap. You need to go while you still can.” He couldn’t keep himself from reaching out to Lotor anyway to hold his hand. He was already feeling better and he realized that this was how Lotor must have felt after they let Sendak hold him for his recovery.

It was impossible to see Lotor's face with the helmet still in place, but his hands were shaking as he held Sendak's right hand and ever-so-gently brushed his fingertips over his left arm. He shook his head firmly. "I can't leave without you. I've felt your pain these past few days, and I can't ignore it." His hand started to glow blue, and he brought it near to Sendak's arm, not quite touching as he hovered over the skin. He slowly moved it upwards, all the way to the shoulder, and then he placed it there on the joint, right at the edge of how far the burning feeling had spread. A soothing feeling emanated from where his hand rested. It didn't spread far, only into the area around the joint, but it was better than nothing. 

As Lotor continued with the magic, he said firmly, "Remember what I told you at the start? If you die, I might die too. You can't just... just sacrifice yourself for me and expect me to be okay. From now on, we're staying together. Nothing is going to come between us, for better or worse. Do you understand?"

Sendak released a shaky breath and nodded. “Yes I—“ he cut himself off as he pushed himself up against the wall. He knew he couldn’t change Lotor’s mind, so he had to move. Thankfully, Lotor offered him a hand to help him up, and he took it as he continued, “I knew it was better than this place, especially if you had other Alteans with you. They could save you.” The moment he finally stood, it felt like his limbs were burning up. The druids’ experiment had taken a lot out of him. “I hate that you’re here, but I’m glad to see you again, love.”

Lotor nodded. "I'm glad to see you too. Now come on, we have to move quickly. Get..." He hesitated, but then he said, "Get on the table and pretend to be unconscious while I wheel it out of here. I may be able to get us partway out without incident by pretending that I'm just moving you to another room."

Sendak tensed at the suggestion. He hated that thing, the way the lightly padded material felt under his back, the way the metal bands dug into his skin, but this was _Lotor,_ and he knew he’d never harm him. “Alright,” he said, not fully able to keep the hesitation from his voice. He walked over to the table, Lotor helping him stand, and got into position, closing his eyes.

"Thank you, love," Lotor said quietly. He didn't put the straps in place, simply leaving Sendak free as he started to roll him out toward the door. "If we encounter trouble, we're going to have to run," he whispered just before they left the room. "Stay alert and be ready to jump up." They left the room, and Lotor pushed the bed down a long corridor. After a couple of turns and a couple of security checkpoints that he quietly disabled, another set of footsteps approached. "Soldier, what are you doing?" The voice was Kolivan's.

Lotor answered quickly and confidently, "I am under orders to transfer this prisoner." He sounded every bit the disaffected soldier.

Kolivan took a few steps closer. "Ah, I see. The transfer. Carry on."

Sendak released a breath he’d been holding. Kolivan had definitely known that the transfer was something Lotor had made up, but he’d let them go. He wanted to thank the captain for everything he’d done, but he couldn’t do that, not now. He remained still and let Lotor wheel him further towards their destination.

They stopped briefly at another door, and once it opened, Lotor whispered, "We're out of the lab." A pair of footsteps echoed up ahead, and an unfamiliar voice called, "What are you doing? Where are you taking him?" 

"Prisoner containment," Lotor answered easily. "The lab is done with him." 

There were some murmurs from the two soldiers, and then the other one said, "Soldier, what's your identification?" Lotor recited some realistic-sounding ID code, and the two soldiers murmured again. Suddenly, there was a sound of two silenced blaster shots, and Lotor suddenly pushed the table at a run. "Cover is blown. I'm just going to dash for it."

Sendak opened his eyes and looked back at Lotor who was looking straight ahead. “Shit. Do you want me to get up?” He knew Lotor could probably make better progress if he stayed put because he still couldn’t walk very fast and he knew the druids were likely right behind them.

"Stay there for now, but be ready to move when we get to the hangar." Lotor's voice was tense but determined as he wheeled the table quickly through the corridors. Mercifully, they managed to reach the hangar. No general alarms were going off, though that probably meant the lab security was going to deal with them directly. Lotor pushed the table toward a small fighter. "Get in, start it if you can, otherwise I'll have to hack into it." He then pulled two blasters out of his soldier uniform and turned toward the doors to the hangar, opening fire as soldiers began coming after them.

Sendak grunted as he lifted himself off the table and made his way into the fighter. He couldn’t help but glance back at Lotor. He thought he’d never see him again, that the best scenario would be to never see him again, but here they were and they might actually manage to escape together. He scrambled into the cockpit and was pleased to see that the controls lit up under his hand. He couldn’t really fly like this, though, not when he still couldn’t move his left arm, but he started the engine to signal Lotor to come to him.

"One moment!" Lotor grunted with effort. As Sendak glanced out to check on him, Lotor dropped one blaster so that he could pull out a knife instead. It was small, way too small, but then it suddenly expanded to over three times its size and turned into a full-length sword. The sword-blaster combination he was working with seemed awkward but effective as he cut down anyone who got too close and fired at more distant enemies. 

Suddenly, some enemies right near the door started to drop. From Sendak's position up in the fighter, he could see over the soldiers and spotted Kolivan carving a bloody path to them. "Room for one more?" the captain called. Chaos ensued as the remaining soldiers looked at him in confusion, a few hesitating to fire at a captain while others had no such reservations.

Sendak couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Yes,” he yelled across the space before turning to Lotor. “I trust him.” He’d tell Lotor about what the captain had done to earn that trust later, but for now he knew it was enough, as it would be if Lotor said the same to him. He gestured to them both to hurry and get to the fighter.

Lotor glanced back and nodded quickly before returning his attention to fighting off the crowd. Kolivan soon met up with him and they fought back-to-back, cutting and blasting away most of the soldiers. "Let's go," Lotor shouted once they had some space. Both Lotor and Kolivan got onto the fighter, and Kolivan hit the button to draw up the doors while Lotor rushed to the pilot's chair. "Hang on tight, this is going to be rough."

Sendak did his best to hold on with his functional arm and remaining strength. He didn’t know how long he’d been at the druids’ mercy, but the time had taken its toll on him. Combined with the torture and lack of sleep, he wasn’t sure how he was even moving. He looked over at Lotor, unbelievably happy to see his face. Meeting his eyes for an instant he nodded, indicating that he was ready, and then the fighter was blasting out of the hangar bay and into the open void beyond.

Kolivan held on nearby and watched Sendak carefully. "I can help, if you need it," he offered. "I know you're not at your best right now." The fighter took a tight turn to avoid laser fire, throwing its inhabitants toward the side of the cabin space. Kolivan held on with ease, but Sendak strained against the force.

Sendak looked back at him. He hated asking for help, but he knew he needed it. Kolivan was offering so he decided to nod carefully. “Yes, please.”

He wished the captain was piloting instead so he could hold Lotor, talk to him, reassure himself that this was real, but he knew having him at the helm was their best chance of escaping.

Kolivan positioned himself next to Sendak on his good side, wrapping one arm around Sendak's back. He carefully avoided touching the injured arm in any way, only holding his back and side. With his other hand, he held on tight, keeping them stable. 

After a few more tense doboshes of this, Lotor called breathlessly, "No sign of pursuit. I have the coordinates in here for a secret hideout where we'll be safe. Helpful traitor, can you fly for a bit while I see what I can do for Sendak?" 

"I can fly," the captain answered easily. "My name is Kolivan, if that helps." 

"Duly noted." Lotor rose from the pilot seat and came toward Sendak. "The helm is yours, Kolivan. Just keep us on route, and alert me right away if you even get a vague feeling that something might be tracking us. I know the coordinates show nothing on long-distance scanners, but trust me." 

"Understood." Kolivan slowly peeled himself away from Sendak, taking care to not jostle him or bump his arm.

“Thank you,” he said to Kolivan, who was already making his way to the pilot seat. He might have turned and nodded at him but right then Sendak only had eyes for Lotor. He held out his good hand and took Lotor’s in his, feeling instantly better. “You came back for me,” he said. He couldn’t quite believe it. “You shouldn’t have. You were supposed to stay with the Alteans who could help you survive if I...” He trailed off, looking at Lotor’s eyes and letting the words hang in the air. “I’m glad you did, though.” His voice was nearly inaudible to his own ears. He squeezed Lotor’s hand lightly and pulled him closer. He had to make sure this was real.

Lotor carefully wrapped his arms around Sendak, pulling him close and squeezing him. "I couldn't leave you. I _love_ you. Of course I came back for you." Then, pulling away, he guided Sendak to lay down across the passenger bench. "I need to examine your arm," he said gently. "This may hurt, but I have to see if I can fix this myself."

Sendak pressed a kiss to Lotor’s knuckles and stretched out, making sure Lotor had ample access to his left side. He hadn’t even looked at his arm since Lotor had gotten him out of the cell, too scared of what he might find. “You could never hurt me, my love. I’ll be alright.” Letting go of Lotor’s hand he tried to relax further. It was fairly easy, as this was so much different than the druids’ dreaded tests.

Lotor's hands began glowing softly, and he pressed them to Sendak's shoulder. He kept them there for a long moment, letting the magic soothe the area, but then he pulled at it somehow. The magic started to be drawn down Sendak's arm, and it stung and burned all over again in the areas it was being drawn away from. Bent over Sendak, Lotor was panting and strained. He kept moving his hands, alight with magic, over Sendak's arm. "It's so much," he panted. He strained, pulling at the magic harder, but then he suddenly released it and let it flow right back to where it was. "Too much... I can't... not alone."

Sendak grit his teeth as the pain returned to his arm in full force. Nevertheless he took deep breaths and steadied himself. “Hey,” he whispered, looking up at Lotor. “It’s alright, love. I think it can wait. Maybe...” he didn’t want to ask for something impossible but... “Do you think you can do it if there’s other alchemists supporting you?” Maybe they could meet up with Lotor’s friends. He looked into Lotor’s eyes, unable to stop himself from asking. “Do you think it will spread?” That was perhaps the one thing he feared, that the druids had planted something in him that would eventually kill him slowly.

Lotor took Sendak's good hand, looking at him seriously and intently. He visibly hesitated to speak until finally admitting, "This requires skill beyond my own, beyond what my friends could do, even. I'm afraid I may have to take you to our haven or else risk your life. It— yes, that vile magic will continue to spread. If I keep constant vigilance, I may be able to keep it where it is, but I cannot guarantee anything, and it will still eat away at your arm." He pulled back a little, regarding the hurt arm with sorrow in his eyes. "It may already be too late to save your arm. Every passing moment, the druids' dark sorcery feeds off of its remaining vitality. Even our best healers may not be able to undo the damage at this point."

Of course. Of course it wouldn’t be that simple. Sendak sat up and buried his face in Lotor’s chest, breathing in his scent and wrapping his good arm around him. He looked up at Lotor. “I’ll follow you wherever you think is best for us to go, even if it’s dangerous. _Especially_ if it’s dangerous. Whatever comes, we will face it together.” He pressed a kiss to the center of Lotor’s chest. “The important thing is that we have each other.”

Lotor brought his hands up and tangled them into Sendak's fur on the back of his head. "I wish I didn't have to. I just want to put you somewhere safe and keep you there forever, but..." He sighed deeply. "I cannot see any other way. We'll leave Kolivan at the base we're currently heading to, and then you and I will have to go to the Altean haven. They may be cold, but they're not heartless. They'll heal you, and then... I'll figure something out."

Sendak’s chest tightened at the thought of being separated from Lotor again but he knew there was no other option if he wanted to survive. “I love you,” he whispered. “I trust you.” He knew with unquestionable certainty that if there was a way out, Lotor would find it. “You got me out of Central Command’s druid lab, with some fortunate help,” he glanced over at Kolivan. “I think you can do anything you set your mind to.”

Lotor's expression softened. "I may also need some 'fortunate help' to get away from the haven, but we'll see. Perhaps I could persuade them entirely diplomatically." He sat down on the bench on Sendak's right side, curling up into him. "I love you too. I only wish I could do more."

Sendak wrapped his arm around Lotor and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. He’d missed this so much. “Stop. You’re doing all you can, and it’s more than enough.” He tilted Lotor’s head up. “Look at me, starlight. We’re together. _You_ made that possible. Now please stop berating yourself.”

Lotor huffed and shook his head, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips. "You're right, of course. I just can't help but worry. I want you to be safe and healthy."

“I’m alive. That’s enough for now.” He stroked Lotor’s cheek with the back of his fingers. “Have you been getting enough sleep?” He wanted to get Lotor to think of something else.

"I was out for a couple of days while I recovered. Since then, I haven't had the chance to sleep." Lotor closed his eyes and pressed his head into Sendak's touch. "We don't have much time now, though. We should reach that base within a varga."

He pulled Lotor closer against him anyway. “Rest. At least for a little while. Let me hold you.” They both needed all the rest they could get, and holding Lotor always seemed to make everything a little better.

Lotor settled in, leaning into Sendak's side. "Alright, just... just for a bit. Wake me when we get close, because I'll have to guide the ship and bypass security." He very quickly relaxed, a testament to how tired he truly was, and he began to doze off.

“I will,” Sendak whispered, even though he knew Lotor couldn’t hear him.

He held him close until the ship’s sensors beeped and Kolivan turned to face them much sooner than Sendak would have liked. He kissed Lotor’s forehead lightly. “We’re here, love.”

Lotor stirred, eyelids fluttering open as he woke up and sat up. "Good," he mumbled. "Just a tick..." He stood and stretched, making his way up to the cockpit. "The approach is extremely dangerous. The gravitational fields here prevent the base from showing up on long-distance scanners, but they also make any approach a difficult balancing act between opposing gravitational fields." 

Kolivan stood and offered the pilot seat to Lotor. "I presume you have the experience necessary for this?" 

"Experience... and a bit of help." Lotor sat down and opened a comm link to the base. "Request for approach calculations, access code lambda-0-7-omicron-rho." A moment later, a file appeared with a flight path to the base. "The system there constantly scans the surrounding gravitational fields and updates the approach path calculations," Lotor explained. "I've maintained it over the past few decaphoebs, knowing that it might be useful again someday."

Sendak rose from his seat and joined them, looking out at the base. He gasped as soon as the sight before him revealed itself. It was impossible and he wasn’t sure he was seeing right. Before them was a base situated precisely between two black holes. Despite the immense gravitational pull in both directions the base floated between them, completely stationary.

Sendak wasn’t expertly versed in the physics of black holes, mostly because he was instructed to avoid them at all costs, but he knew that they did all sorts of unpredictable things with space-time. Yet there the base was, completely unaffected. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from it. “Who built this place?” he asked, his voice full of awe.

"A great engineer," Lotor answered as he brought the ship toward the base, "and her exceedingly foolhardy apprentice." He chuckled to himself. "I was the one who found this place and came up with the idea, and I begged and begged until Peretea agreed to at least consider it and assess its potential. She led the building efforts, though I helped at every step. She—” His expression fell. “Unfortunately, she perished in a raid shortly after we got everyone moved in here."

He directed the ship smoothly, even as the gravity fields became more intense. "We lived here for several decaphoebs before I found our current haven. Since then, I've maintained this place, unwilling to let all my hard work go to waste or to let the last thing Peretea built fall to ruin. It's still an incredibly secure base, never yet found by Galra forces, and since I reprogrammed the security, it won't permit any Alteans unless I allow them."

Sendak was mesmerized by the structure, the sheer impossible location of it. “It’s incredible. I didn’t know anything like this was even possible.” He stood behind Lotor’s seat and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. “You’re incredible and so was your teacher.” He could tell that the woman had meant a lot to Lotor in the way that he spoke of her. “How do you get the calculated trajectory? Is there someone else on the base or is it automated?” It was a true feat of engineering either way.

"The system is automated, and I take care to run diagnostics on it and update it anytime I come here," Lotor answered as he guided the ship in for a landing. "I could run the calculations myself if I took the time to scan the gravitational fields, but it's much simpler to have the system do it for me." He landed the ship in a hangar, and he ran a scan to verify that the hangar was pressurized before opening the ship. "Kolivan, I'll need to key you into the security here. Then, regardless of what may happen to Sendak and to me, you can use this as a hideout. I'm going to get some supplies, and then I'm taking Sendak to get him healed." 

"Understood." Kolivan left the craft, looking around the sizable base, clearly impressed.

Sendak met the captain’s eyes. “Thank you. For everything.” They wouldn’t have made it out without him and Sendak was eternally grateful. He told Kolivan as much. “I’ll try to keep up with the two of you,” he said with a smile. He was still limping but he wanted to see the base for himself.

Kolivan nodded at him. "I only did what was right. I've known for some time now that the empire was corrupt. This was merely the final act that pushed me to betray them."

While Kolivan was speaking, Lotor ducked under Sendak's good arm, supporting his weight. "You really should be resting, but if you insist on coming, we're not going to leave you behind." He guided Sendak toward one of the doors. "The control room is this way."

Sendak leaned on him slightly, grateful for the support even though he hated that he needed it, that he was being a burden. “I just... I want to be with you. I don’t want you to go—I... can’t do that yet.” He fought the rising panic, breathing in and out slowly. “I’m sorry.” He knew it was foolish, they were safe here, but his instincts were screaming at him not to let Lotor out of his sight, that it would be dangerous for them both if he did.

"It's okay," Lotor murmured softly. "I won't leave you behind." They made their way through the structure, passing a network of corridors. As they walked, Lotor explained where each went and how to navigate the base, though it was rather confusing and hard to understand. "It's deliberately labyrinthine," Lotor admitted. "It's designed to be difficult to invade. That way, even if it was discovered, we would have more time to escape while only a few held the defenses."

Soon, they reached the control room, and Lotor placed his hand on the scanner. He rattled off a very long access code, then he removed his hand from the scanner and gestured to Kolivan. "Place your hand on the scanner and come up with your own access code. This will give you full access to all systems." 

Kolivan did as Lotor told him, and the control panel lit up green as it accepted his input. He then turned to Lotor. "Thank you. I will take care of this place until you return." 

Lotor smiled faintly. "This is merely my way of repaying my debt to you. It would be cruel of me to force you to run and hide without any assistance after you helped us like this."

Sendak nodded in agreement, trying to convey his gratitude with his eyes, and then turned to Lotor. “Should I...?” He gestured to the control panel. He didn’t want to consider why he might need access to the station without Lotor, but he preferred to be on the safe side.

"Ah, yes." Lotor touched his hand to the panel and recited the code again. He then ducked out from under Sendak's good arm and directed his hand to the panel. "Just in case of anything."

Sendak nodded and did as Lotor had shown, leaning heavily on the panel. He could feel himself getting worse. They had to get going, whether he liked it or not. When he was done, he wrapped his arm back around Lotor’s shoulders, his breathing heavier than it should be. “You said there were supplies here? I’ll help you get them.” He knew he wouldn’t be much help but pretending felt a little better than admitting that.

Lotor nodded and led Sendak down a corridor. "Just a few things that might be useful. Water, dry rations... I imagine you'd like some real food, even if it is just preserved and dried, right? It may not be the height of cuisine, but I can guarantee it's better than that sludge we were forced to eat. There are some medical supplies too, including painkillers, if you want."

Sendak kissed the side of Lotor’s face, the only place he could reach comfortably. “I’d like that. I’ve gotten used to both things out of necessity but... I’d like to change that.” He hesitated for a moment but then decided to ask the question currently on his mind. “Do you feel it? My arm? What does it feel like to you?”

"Hmmm..." Lotor hummed, considering. "For me, it feels... tingly, almost numb, like there's static where sensation should be. Whenever I deliberately touch it, I _can_ feel it, but otherwise it feels off and wrong. It's mild enough that I can still function normally, but I certainly want to fix this as soon as possible." They entered a small storage room with shelves half-full of various resources. There were a few crates that looked sturdy enough to sit on, and Lotor directed Sendak toward them. "Here, sit down, and I'll get the stuff we need."

Sendak sat and watched Lotor gather the supplies. A thought occurred to him. “Was this where you stayed after you met me to protect your people? Or did you find another place to lie low?” He was impressed by the amount of supplies but, then again, most of them were probably long-lived and remained from the time that the base was in full use.

"This was one of the places, yes." Lotor shoved a few things into a bag. "There are a couple of other old bases I stayed at depending on where in the universe I wanted to be, and I had a few contacts I stayed with as well. This is certainly the most secure place, though. It just feels... rather empty, I suppose, without all the bustle of activity that I remember." He then handed Sendak a very tiny packet. "Standard painkiller. It's not very strong, but it should take the edge off."

Sendak accepted it and gratefully took the painkillers. He had the feeling it was getting worse, but there was no use in dwelling on that. Worry wouldn’t get them to the Altean haven sooner. “How far from here is it? What should we expect when we get there?” He had to be prepared. He didn’t want to put Lotor in any kind of danger accidentally.

"It will take about a quintant if I follow the route absolutely correctly. If I mess up..." Lotor shook his head. "I'll stay focused. I know how to do this." He grabbed a few last items, then slung the bag over his shoulder and approached Sendak to help him up. "As for the welcome we can expect, I imagine it will be less than friendly, but quiet cooperation will be our best chance of getting you treatment right away." He grimaced, looking somewhat disgusted. "They did sort of... offer that I could bring you on the condition that you were not allowed to leave again. I'll just pretend that's ultimately what I decided was best."

Sendak exhaled, trying to ease some of the tension that had returned to his muscles. The thought of being a prisoner again did not sit well with him, but he knew Lotor was right. It was the only way. Accepting Lotor’s support, he rose to his feet. Their journey would be long enough and it was best if they left as soon as possible. He leaned against Lotor as they walked back to the hangar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to feed your local writers with comments and kudos if you're enjoying it so far! 💕


	7. Arc 3: Haven

Lotor and Sendak continued on in silence to the hangar, and Lotor directed them to an unfamiliar ship. "This is one that I've personally modified. It will be better for our journey." It had some sort of exterior plating, the likes of which Sendak hadn’t seen before, and extra panels and sensors that Sendak could only guess the purpose of.  
  
As they climbed aboard and settled in, Lotor sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry. If there were any other way, I'd do it. I just don't have the power to do this alone."

Sendak reached over and ran his thumb over Lotor’s cheekbone, cupping his jaw. “Lotor... I’m terrified for the both of us, and I hate the mere thought of being separated from you again, but this is the best way. Don’t be sorry for it. I love you.” He knew Lotor would still feel guilty despite himself, so he decided to change the subject. “You said you modified this ship? How?”

Lotor's frown only deepened, and he looked away. "In order to get to the haven, we have to travel through the..." He shook his head. "...through the Quantum Abyss. I know it sounds insane, but there's a pocket of perfectly peaceful space inside, like the eye of a storm, and that's where the haven is. I engineered special shields designed specifically to resist and repel its effects, though they aren't perfect. I'll have to maintain an exact course, or else we could be caught in its time warping effects or worse."

The Quantum Abyss. No wonder the Altean haven had never been found. The Abyss was impossible to navigate, full of anomalies that tore apart the very fabric of reality. Thousands of years could pass in the blink of an eye and a second could last a lifetime. Protocol was to avoid the Abyss at all costs as there was no way through it that didn’t spell certain death, but apparently Lotor had found one. “How did you come across that path, that _pocket?”_ It sounded impossible. Scanners didn’t work inside the Quantum Abyss, and even if they did, nobody would risk the time distortion.

Finally, a hint of a sheepish smile played across Lotor's expression. "So... let's just say I was being extremely foolish..." He chuckled wryly. "I was running away from a Galra ship, acting as a distraction so that the others in the raid party could get away. I was trapped in there for over two weeks, and I even ran out of rations. That was when I suddenly found a planet, full of water and plant life but nothing else. In desperation, I ate some of the plants there, and I found that they were perfectly fine. I restocked as well as I could and found my way out. When I got back, it had only been a day. I told them about the planet there, and that's when I started working with the council to devise a plan to move everyone there, where we could be safe."

Sendak shook his head in disbelief. “Of course you did. It’s quite a wonder you lived long enough that we met, Starlight, because according to your anecdotes, you should have been dead three times over.” He smiled. “You’re incredible.”

Lotor laughed quietly. "I should have been dead many times over, I'm sure. I've often had to think quickly and take calculated risks in order to survive." He eased the ship out of the gravitational fields around the base, making the task look much more simple than it must have been.

“How was the journey itself? I assume that the Quantum Abyss is quite unpredictable. What did you see in there?” Sendak knew he was about to traverse it himself, but he couldn’t believe Lotor had seen the most inherently dangerous part of the known universe and lived. He wanted to know everything.

"The Quantum Abyss is rather difficult to describe. Some parts of it are beautiful. There are giant creatures with entire ecosystems on their backs, and there's a certain beauty to how stars are constantly created and destroyed there. Other parts, however, are far more disturbing. Some creatures there seek to destroy anything that tries to pass, and the time distortions can create unsettling imagery. It is not a trip I would want to make again without protection and a well-calculated route."

Sendak couldn't imagine the things Lotor has seen, so he just nodded in understanding. Traveling through the Abyss without knowing where to go must have been terrifying. He looked back at the base behind them, growing smaller and smaller, the black holes on either side swallowing up the surrounding light. "How long has the haven been in the Abyss?" The act of moving everyone must have been difficult and time-consuming. "Is it the same route each time, or do you have to make a new calculation?"

"It's been about three, nearing four decaphoebs now," Lotor answered. "There's a basic route that works, though we have to calculate adjustments to it over time as the forces inside shift and move." He set the ship to autopilot and slumped in the chair, looking drained. "It'll take us about five vargas to get to the entrance of the Abyss. Until then, I should focus on doing what I can for your arm. If I can hold the druidic magic back and keep it from spreading, you'll have a better chance of recovery."

“Alright.” Sendak stood carefully and walked over to the passenger seats that allowed him to recline slightly, giving Lotor easier access to his arm. “But don’t overextend yourself. I’ll be fine.” He tried to give him a reassuring smile.

Lotor immediately set to work, lighting up his hands with that soft blue glow and passing them over Sendak's arm, just barely ruffling the fur. He looked at Sendak with sincerity and pain in his eyes. "I'll try not to exhaust myself, but I need to do whatever I can. If I don't, who knows what this might do to you?" 

He continued the process for a while, concentrating most of his efforts at Sendak's shoulder, until he finally let the magic dissipate. He moved over to Sendak's other side and slumped heavily against him, clearly tired. "It's so hard," he muttered. "I'm no match for energy like that."

Sendak wrapped his good arm around him and pulled him close. “It’s alright. I’m sure it was meant to be like that. They said they were the only ones able to remove it. I doubt it’s true, but it’s bound to be difficult. What does it feel like when you try to stop it?” He still had no idea what the druids had done to his arm and maybe Lotor could help him figure it out.

Lotor looked mildly confused. "Do you mean the experience of trying and failing to stop it, or are you asking about what I physically feel during the process? The experience of fighting against it, it's like... like pushing a rock that's too heavy for me up an incline. I can move it a few inches, perhaps, but then it slowly rolls back to where it was and gradually falls even further downhill." He adjusted his position, bringing himself further into Sendak's embrace. "As for the physical sensation, I suppose I haven't thought much about it. I can feel the mild influence of my magic, but it's weak, hardly noticeable compared to the static feeling of the druids' magic."

Sendak thought for a moment. “To me it feels like there’s a piece of their magic under my skin, leeching off my energy like an infection or a parasite, but it’s very slow without the druids’ help.” He looked at Lotor, who was far paler and more tired than he would have liked. “If it feels like it’s not helping, then you should save your strength. The druids had to push more of it into me to make it significantly spread. I’ll be alright. But we won’t be if you can’t guide us through the Abyss.”

Lotor sighed, looking completely defeated. "I suppose you're right. I just wish I could do more to protect you." Then he stood up, going to the bag of supplies and bringing it back to their sitting place. "We should eat now, before we reach the Abyss." He pulled out a few dried food options. "Do any of these look appetizing to you?"

Sendak looked over the rations. “In all honesty they all look appetizing after what I’ve gotten used to.” His nausea had subsided since he wasn’t constantly terrified of what the Druids might do to Lotor. He picked one of the options at random and took a bite. The flavor of what had to be assorted dried fruit was intense after the flavorless slop. “What is this?” he asked between bites. It tasted different than anything he’d had before, but then again the Galra weren’t very fond of meatless cuisine.

Lotor leaned over to look at the packet more closely. "Ah, that's a collection from the planet Eadarrie. They're fairly well-known for their fruits and other edible plants, and their produce tends to be cheap and easy to get. I got these packets at a swap-meet for a low price." He opened up another pack, this one containing dried meat. "This is just some dried ezca. I presume you're familiar with it? It's a fairly cheap and common meat." He took a bite of it himself before offering a strip to Sendak.

Sendak looked puzzled at the rations. “I thought Alteans didn’t eat meat? Is that inaccurate?” He realized he barely knew anything about Altea. Taking the strip from Lotor’s hand he took a bite, impressed by the flavor. It was delicately spiced for a mere dried ration designed to be stored in a pack as a last resort.

Lotor chucked sheepishly. "Alteans typically don't. They can process it, but it's not part of their natural diet. I, on the other hand, was a rather sickly child until one of my caretakers realized that my dietary needs were rather more aligned with a Galra diet than an Altean one." He reached over and stole a bit of fruit from Sendak's packet. "I've found that balancing my meat and plant consumption generally works best for my digestion. I try to make at least a quarter of my diet meat or eggs, though I generally have to obtain such foods myself. That's why I buy packs like these, since I can buy a lot of them and keep them for a very long time."

“Interesting.” Lotor was quite tall for an Altean, it made sense that he’d inherited other things from his Galra half as well. Sendak took another bite of the dried meat. “This is quite good. Maybe it’s just the fact that there’s salt on this, but I like it.” He looked at Lotor’s face. Some of the color had returned. “You should eat some more. Are you feeling better?”

"A little, yes." Lotor took a couple more bites, alternating between the fruit and meat. He then added, "Food, of course, gives energy, which helps replace the energy I spent trying to heal you. Just the fact that I’m eating something substantial is already making me feel more energized." 

Once they'd gone through those packets, Lotor opened up another that contained a different kind of meat. "I know you at least need more meat than that," he pointed out. "This one's some koztoz. It's a little less common, so you may not have tried it before. It tends to have a sharper flavor than ezca."

Sendak took a bite of the offered piece. He was familiar with it, but Lotor was right, it was fairly uncommon. He realized how long it had been since he’d had a decent meal. He’d been living on military rations for quite some time before being forced to endure the prison slop. He hadn’t had real food in weeks. “Before the most common Galra food were military grade food supplements, there used to be a wide variety. Some places have kept the old traditions, and I think that when this is all over we should go there. Most of it is delicious. We’ll see if you can handle the spice in it, though,” he added teasingly.

Lotor chuckled. "I've tried some very strange things in my wanderings. I doubt anything you give me would faze me." He took some of the koztoz meat for himself and bit into it, closing his eyes as if to savor the flavor. "I certainly wouldn't turn down a hot meal, though. That would be nice."

Sendak smiled, trying to banish the twinge of sadness he felt. “We’ll go. When this is all over, we’ll do everything we’ve wanted to do together.” When they finished their meals, Sendak stood and held his good hand out for Lotor to take. He was feeling better, but that was likely from the meal and because he’d regained his energy much more quickly from being close to Lotor rather than any actual improvement in his arm.

Lotor looked up at him in a bemused manner as he accepted his hand and stood. "Shouldn't you be resting? Where are you trying to go? There really isn't anything to see on a ship as small as this."

Sendak opened his mouth and then closed it, releasing a breath. “I get... restless during things like this and I thought I’d distract myself with the view,” he paused, but then continued. “I don’t think I can rest right now.” He gestured to his arm. “It hurts but not enough that it’s really keeping me from moving. I suppose I’m just... scared. And I hate it.”

Lotor's expression softened, and he led Sendak to the cockpit. "Why don't you sit in the pilot seat? It has the best view. I could stand next to you or even sit on your lap if you're alright with that."

Sendak pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered and pressed a kiss to Lotor’s cheek. He sat down in the pilot’s seat and pulled Lotor into his lap, resting his head on his shoulder and looking out at the passing nebulae. 

He’d always like the vibrant colors of them, even from an observation deck of a large vessel, and this way they felt incredibly close, as if he could reach out and touch them.

Lotor laid back against him, quite relaxed. He was mostly quiet, but he occasionally pointed out star systems he was familiar with and told little stories of various adventures among them. Eventually, the ominous shape of the Quantum Abyss stretched before them, growing bigger in their sight as they approached. Lotor sat up straighter. "I'm going to have to concentrate. Do you want to stay still, or do you want to get up now and sit down elsewhere?"

“I’ll stay,” Sendak said and kissed Lotor’s temple before leaning back and giving him the space he needed. “If that’s alright with you, of course.” The Abyss stretched out beyond his field of vision, the numerous singularities spread out in all directions. He could imagine how difficult it must be to navigate around the effects of each and he didn’t want to make it any harder for Lotor.

"Of course." Lotor leaned forward and took the controls. "I wouldn't have offered if it wasn't alright." As they entered the Abyss, the gravitational forces were immediately apparent. They weren't enough to pull Lotor and Sendak out of their seat, but they could certainly be felt by them despite the little ship's artificial gravity. Dust surrounded them, and there were several small nebulae among the stars and suspiciously distinct black areas. As their route took them through one nebula, the ship's sensors marked a drastic heat spike, as to be expected from a glowing hot nebula, but Lotor looked entirely unconcerned as he piloted the craft straight through, and the shields thankfully held.

Sendak trusted him, but it did take some nerves to fly through things that were typically considered obstacles without moving and jostling Lotor. The ship flew incredibly smoothly for the circumstances, and he thought of what Lotor had done to its thrusters and shields to make it so. Lotor was focused on his screens, completely in his element. The Abyss was quite beautiful in spite of its danger. Everything shone with the light of nearby stars and the dust surrounded nearly everything. It was an eerie place, somehow more quiet than the rest of space and simultaneously more vivid. It left him feeling slightly unsettled. They followed the path that the ship indicated, but there was nothing visually distinct about it. It was as good as flying blind.

Suddenly, a white creature appeared in the viewscreen, and Lotor tensed. He reached for another set of controls, and the ship fired on the strange monster. Some of the tension eased from Lotor's form, but not all of it. "Those things have given us a lot of trouble," he muttered darkly. "I wish I understood them better, but we've never managed to kill one to do a biopsy on it. We can scare them off with the ship's blasters, but the actual damage the ship can do to them seems rather minimal."

Sendak had clasped the armrest of the seat in shock. The creature had appeared so suddenly, not even showing up on their scanners beforehand, but that was likely due to the environment around them. “What do they do if you don’t scare them off?” He couldn’t imagine it would be pleasant if the creatures had caused trouble before.

"They've damaged our ships before when they've managed to get close enough for even a few ticks," Lotor admitted, his tone of voice unusually grim. "Because of that, we try to scare them off as quickly as possible. Anytime we see them, we shoot them. We've never lost a ship to them yet, but the damage they've managed in the past is enough to prove that they could destroy us if they got close enough for long enough or if several attacked in unison."

Sendak frowned. What could the creatures possibly hope to gain by tearing apart a spaceship? “Maybe they’re scavengers. There must be a lot of debris that ends up in the Abyss. The universe has a way of cleaning up after itself.” He watched the dust and rocks surrounding them, but there weren’t any more of the creatures in sight.

Lotor hummed in thought. "That's quite possible. Perhaps they prey on the bodies of dead weblums and balmeras that happen to drift in." He was quiet for a while after that, focusing on their route.

Leaning back again, Sendak let Lotor fly the ship, marveling at the colors surrounding them, the way the light and matter was pulled in many different directions by the numerous black holes. This truly was a strange place.

At length, a large wall of dust appeared ahead of them. "We're almost there." There was a note of relief in his voice. "Just a little bit to go." The dust cloud was thick and took them a couple doboshes to navigate through blindly, but then they finally emerged on the other side. Surrounded by the chaos of the Abyss, there was a pocket of perfectly peaceful space, just as Lotor had described. It was large, large enough to contain a few stars that were quite reasonably spaced apart, but compared to the vast stretches of open space all Galra pilots were used to navigating, it was relatively tiny. 

Lotor directed the ship toward a fairly small star in the middle, glowing a warm yellow-orange. It was surrounded by a few planets. As the ship drew ever closer to one of those planets, a moon came into view, and the planet itself appeared a vibrant, living green, as it appeared to have a surface mostly covered in plant life, though a few relatively small seas dotted its surface. "Welcome," Lotor said softly with too much weight in his voice, "to the Altean Haven."

Sendak gasped in awe. Even though Lotor had told him about this place, he never could have imagined that such a lush planet could exist within the confines of the Quantum Abyss, not without seeing it for himself, but here it was. "It's beautiful." He imagined Lotor coming across it that first time, starved and hopeless, seeing something that should not exist and wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him right until the moment he landed on it. The thought made him want to hold Lotor tightly to his chest and never let go.

"Will they be expecting us?" He wasn't sure if the Alteans had a radar system in place or if such a thing as sensors would even work here due to the interference from the Abyss around them. If they had any engineers similar to Lotor, he had no doubt they'd found a way to make it work.

Lotor sighed. "I should hail them before landing. I doubt they've noticed us yet, but they certainly will by the time we've entered the atmosphere." With no small amount of hesitation and reluctance, he reached forward and activated the comms. "Haven control, this is Lotor." He sounded much more composed than he looked. "Requesting permission to land." 

Several ticks stretched by without an answer, and Lotor was just reaching toward the comm controls again when a voice came through. _"Lotor?!"_ It was a relatively high voice, perhaps male. Whoever they were, they sounded very surprised. _"U-uh... yes? The airspace is clear. Dunno how the Council is going to react to this..."_

"Leave that to me." Lotor's voice was firm and confident. "Just let me land, and alert Paeanor that I will need his help immediately." 

_"I can't just... he's a Council member..."_

"He'll make time for me." Lotor sounded annoyed now. "Tell him it's an emergency, and tell him it's for me." 

_"Uh..."_

"Quiznak, Bandor, just do it. I know it's really Hira you're scared of upsetting, right? I'll deal with her later, but I need Paeanor _now."_

 _"Understood!"_ Bandor's voice sounded rather squeaky and tense, and the comm line closed suddenly. 

Lotor let out a heavy sigh and slumped back. "I wish someone else had been on shift, but we'll just have to deal with it. Hopefully he decided to do as I asked."

Sendak stroked Lotor’s side, enjoying the casual contact after sitting stiffly for so long. “Who was that? Why do you think he won’t do as you asked?” The Altean had been surprised to hear from Lotor, but surely that was because he hadn’t expected him. It occurred to him that the people of the colony had probably been firmly against Lotor’s rescue mission. Sendak wondered what he had sacrificed to be able to come for him. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest at the idea of coming between Lotor and his people, his friends.

"He's..." Lotor huffed. "He's a sweet kid, really, but he's a little _too_ trusting of authority at times. The poor boy doesn't have a rebellious bone in his body, so since he knows Hira doesn't want me to come back, I've put him in a situation he's probably struggling with. He doesn't want to make her angry, but he also knows that I carry a lot of influence with a lot of people, and he also doesn't want to make _them_ angry. We'll see what he does." 

He then shifted to glance over his shoulder. "Paeanor is the more important one to note. He's the best healer-alchemist we have left, and he's on the Council. He's always treated me fairly, just like any of the other youth, so I'm sure he'll listen when I ask him to heal you. I really cannot imagine him refusing to help someone sick, even someone he doesn't trust."

Sendak pressed a kiss to Lotor's face, glad that he was once again close enough to reach. "We'll be alright. I trust you more than I can say and anyone that has your trust has mine as well." He wanted to spend more time here, with Lotor close and freedom at their fingertips, but he knew that was not possible. He would die and possibly bring the same fate on Lotor, and as much as he hated the idea of placing himself at the mercy of anyone ever again, he could not allow that to happen. "We should land," he said reluctantly.

"Yes... I imagine we should." Reluctance practically radiated from Lotor, but he leaned forward again to take hold of the controls, and he eased the ship down through the planet's atmosphere. Within just a few doboshes, they were landing on a flattened and paved area overlooked by a small communications tower. Lotor powered down the ship and then stood, offering Sendak his hand. "It's time to face them, I suppose." He looked painfully apologetic.

Sendak took Lotor's hand and stood as well. He pulled Lotor close one more time, just in case, and kissed him sweetly and gently. When he pulled away he tucked a strand of Lotor's hair behind his delicately pointed ear and smiled. "Let's face them, then." He followed Lotor to the ship's hatch. "I don't want them to feel threatened. Is there anything I should keep in mind?"

"Just don't make any sudden moves." Lotor guided Sendak's good arm around his shoulders to support him. "They might think at first that you're only feigning weakness." As they stepped out and into the bright daylight, several Alteans came up to them, some with weapons and some without. 

An older man stood at the middle of the group, but Sendak's attention was drawn to a familiar face nearby. He recognized the man who had carried Lotor out of the chamber during the rescue attempt. That same man's eyes widened as he met Sendak's gaze. "That's him. That's the Galra that the druids were keeping captive with Lotor." 

"And my soulmate," Lotor added, his voice carrying over the murmurs from the rest. "I would not have brought him here, but the druids have hurt him badly. He needs help right away." 

The older man looked them over with a neutral expression. "I will do what I can. Bring him to the house of healing." He turned and led the way toward a building nearby.

Sendak leaned heavily on Lotor, grateful for the support. He hadn't realized how weak he felt inside the ship, but now that they were walking, he felt like he might collapse at any moment. He hardly even cared about the weapons pointed at him. He made sure not to move too quickly for fear of risking an involuntary discharge from an anxious hand, not that he was capable of any sudden movements at this moment.

It felt like ages had passed before they reached the medical facility, the _house of healing,_ as the older man had called it. He glanced over at Lotor and tightened his grip on his shoulder. He wasn't sure where they might lead him, but it was alright as long as Lotor was there.

The older man, presumably Paeanor from what Lotor had said earlier, led them into a brightly-lit room with a medical table in the center. Balmeran crystals glowed softly in the walls just above countertops holding various tools and medical instruments. The man motioned to the table in the middle. "Lay the patient here. We will have to do an examination to determine the extent of the damage." Thankfully, the medical table there did not much resemble the ones in the druids' lab. It was more like a raised cot, with a thin mattress covered by clean sheets and no restraints in sight. A soft-looking pillow was set at the head of it.

Sendak's breathing had quickened despite the fact, but his discomfort was bearable. He sat down on the cot with Lotor's help and then carefully stretched out. It hurt when his bad arm came in contact with the mattress, jostling it slightly, and he gritted his teeth to keep from crying out. He reached out to take Lotor's hand, trying to find a way to ground himself in this unfamiliar place with so many strange people, and found it. He held on tightly as the alchemist began his examination.

Lotor held his hand tightly and attempted what was probably supposed to be a reassuring smile. As Paeanor did his work, some of the Alteans who had escorted them there left while others in light-colored robes came into the room. One person approached a little closer than the others, a woman with long red hair, whom Sendak recognized as the other person who had helped rescue Lotor. She gave Sendak an apologetic smile. "I'm Luka. I'm glad to see you're alive, and I'm so sorry we couldn't rescue you too. We were really underprepared. If I'd known Lotor was going back for you so soon, I swear I would have tried to help." 

"I couldn't afford alerting anyone," Lotor said defensively, addressing Luka. "I was afraid even you would say I still needed more time to recover first, and I knew there wasn't any time left to spare."

Sendak looked at the woman that had stood on the other side of the glass risking her life so that he could send Lotor one last message. “It’s alright, Luka.” He rolled the name off his tongue, testing its sound. “You did all you could, and you saved Lotor. They were...” He shuddered, recalling the way the druids hadn’t even let him wake up after he shattered their ancient relic. “They would have killed him.” He banished the thoughts from his mind and smiled reassuringly at Luka. He hoped to get to know her more closely someday. She clearly cared about Lotor.

Luka returned the smile and gave Lotor a light touch on the shoulder (which was a bit of a reach for her, considering how tall Lotor was by comparison) before stepping back. 

Paeanor soon finished his examination, letting the magic glow fade from his hands. His expression was serious as he spoke to Sendak directly. "Your lower arm is, at this point, dead tissue animated by the dark energy. There's nothing I could do for it. The upper arm is severely damaged, but it is not as deeply poisoned. After I amputate the lower arm, I will do my best to draw the dark energy out of the upper arm and to heal it, but I make no promises. It may also need to be amputated. Since both the amputation and drawing out the dark energy will be extremely painful, one of the alchemists here will use a simple spell to keep you asleep until the entire process is over and we've done what we can to heal the remainder." 

"I can keep him asleep," Lotor interjected quickly. "It would be best if I—" 

"No." The alchemist's tone allowed no argument. "I need you to focus on the procedure itself for multiple reasons. You're the only one here with a decent understanding of Galra anatomy. You'll be able to tell us how the process of drawing out the dark energy is going through the empathetic soulmate bond without experiencing the pain that the patient would feel. Someone else will have to maintain the spell." 

Luka stepped forward again. "I could." She looked to Sendak. "If you're willing to trust me to, that is."

Sendak hesitated. The idea of someone reaching into his mind and putting him to sleep was terrifying, if only because the Altean’s alchemy was involved, which was hauntingly similar to the druids’ dark power. When he looked at Luka, however, who had risked her life for Lotor and was looking at Sendak with sincerity, he trusted her. Possibly only by association, but it would have to be enough. He nodded. “I am,” he breathed. Giving Lotor another reassuring smile he tried to relax, as difficult as it was.

Luka walked around and gently placed her hands on both sides of his head. "Just try to relax, and don't fight it." Warm waves of energy similar to but not quite like Lotor's pressed gently at the edges of Sendak's mind, lightly coaxing him toward relaxation.

Lotor squeezed Sendak's right hand, leaning closer to look him in the eyes. "I'll be here the entire time to protect you. I love you so much."

Sendak felt his limbs go heavy and his eyelids flutter. It was similar to the feeling of anesthesia entering his veins but somehow much less invasive, less brutal, as if he was being pulled under gently rather than dragged. “I love you too,” he whispered and closed his eyes, letting sleep wash over him.

* * *

Sendak woke slowly, blinking at the lights above him. They were significantly dimmer than the ones in the operating room, so he must’ve been somewhere else. His vision was blurry, but he could feel Lotor beside him and tried to reach out, only to find his limbs still too heavy to move properly. He was aware of a dull ache in his shoulder but he couldn’t quite feel anything other than that. “Lotor,” he said weakly. His voice sounded as if he hadn’t used it in ages. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision.

"I'm right here." Lotor leaned over him from Sendak's right and gently caressed the side of his face. "Just take it easy. The spell wears away slowly, so you should be careful not to push yourself." His hand traveled down Sendak's right arm to squeeze his hand. "How do you feel?"

Sendak squeezed back weakly. “I’m... I don’t feel much. Tired, mostly.” It was difficult to think. They must’ve given him some form of painkiller. Blinking a few more times he looked at Lotor, his eyes refusing to focus completely. “How did it go?

Lotor's expression became rather pained, though he put on a small, reassuring smile. "They got all of the druids' energy out of you, so you're safe from any further harm. However..." The smile faded away entirely. "Your arm did not respond to any attempts to heal it. They had to take all of it from the shoulder joint down. I'm... I'm so sorry."

Sendak’s breath caught in his throat despite himself. He’d known this was a possibility from the start and he’d accepted that, but seeing it was different. The place where his left arm had been was empty. Despite the shock at seeing his arm gone, he felt a strong sense of relief when he focused on feeling his left side. There was no parasitic magic trying to work its way through him anymore. He was safe. _They_ were safe. He could mourn the loss of his arm another time, alongside the loss of his fighting skills, his ability to protect. They were alive and together and that was all that mattered right now. “It’s alright. I feel better and you’re here, so I know it’ll be alright.” He knew he wasn’t quite succeeding at keeping the troubled thoughts from showing on his face. “I love you,” he said, squeezing Lotor’s hand.

Lotor still looked concerned, but he returned the squeeze with a gentle one of his own. "I love you too." A bit of a smile returned to his face. "And I'm already working on a design for a prosthetic. It will take a lot of time and resources to build, but I'm hopeful that I can build one that will give you full functionality."

Sendak smiled at him fondly, some of his worry easing. “I’m very lucky that my soulmate is the most talented engineer in the universe.” He gestured over to the datapad that Lotor had probably been using before he’d woken up. “Is that what you’re working on?” he asked, desperate for Lotor’s soothing voice to tell him of his plans for the future.

"I don't know about 'most talented engineer in the universe,' but yes." Lotor picked up the datapad and activated its holographic mode, causing it to display a small hologram of a prosthetic arm. It was incomplete, with some areas still missing and a complete lack of fingers, but the parts that were visible looked like they could rival any Galra design.

Sendak looked at the hologram in awe. “It’s beautiful, love, thank you.” He was so happy Lotor was here with him. He didn’t think he would have been able to remain calm otherwise. Lotor already had a plan for his arm before he even woke up, and Sendak appreciated it infinitely. He eyed the bed that Lotor was sitting on, next to the table on which he was still lying. It looked a lot softer, and the dull ache in his shoulder hummed at the thought of it. They likely hadn’t moved him because he was too big. “Should I try to move to the bed? Can you help me?”

Lotor nodded. "Only if you feel ready to move. I'll do what I can to help, though you _are_ quite a bit larger than me." He slipped one arm behind Sendak's back to help him sit up a little. "Just... try to shift yourself over, I imagine. I'll help pull you onto the bed."

Sendak sat up carefully. Since the cot was right next to the bed and around the same height, it wasn’t too difficult to shuffle over with Lotor’s help. Soon he was laying down on the bed, slightly out of breath.

He patted the mattress next to him, prompting Lotor to lie down with him. “Come here. A wise Altean once told me that soulmates recover more quickly if they can share energy.”

Lotor chuckled softly as he cuddled up against Sendak's right side and laid his head on his shoulder. "Really now?" His tone was lightly teasing. "And why are you so sure of their wisdom? What if they were spouting nonsense?"

Sendak nuzzled the top of Lotor’s head, feeling much more content now that he was holding him. “I doubt that. I’ve seen the truth of it with my own eyes and, besides, you’re the perfect size for cuddling so I don’t care.”

"Mmm, I suppose that is as good a reason as any," Lotor acquiesced. He closed his eyes and relaxed, letting comfortable silence stretch between them for a long moment. At length, he said softly, "Once you're healed fully, we'll find a way out of here. I just don't want to try anything until you're well."

Sendak held him closer, inhaling his scent. It was just as sweet and calming as the first time he’d known it. “We’ll find a way. For now we’re safer than we’ve been for a while, even if we’re not free. I don’t want you to worry about something you can’t change at the moment.” With a lighter tone he added: “I think Luka would jump at the idea. She seemed disappointed you didn’t take her with you to break me out.”

Lotor nodded. "Yes, I'm sure she would do whatever she could. I just fear it may end up being more complicated than that. Luka is very capable, but she's unsubtle, and I don't want to put her in a position where others would see her as treasonous."

Sendak’s smile faltered. “You’re right, that would be unfair.” He hated that he was doing the same to Lotor by being the reason he was forced into a position to choose between Sendak and his people. He couldn’t bear to cause Lotor any more grief. “Do you know what they plan to do with me? With us?” He didn’t think he could handle it if anyone forcefully separated them again.

"Not for sure." Lotor's voice was heavy, regretful. "If Hira has her way, she'll probably lock us both up. The others on the Council have more faith in me, but I fear they may still want to keep you locked away, and of course I have no plans to leave you." He shifted position to be able to look Sendak in the eyes. "No matter what, I'm absolutely certain they will not separate us. Soulmate bonds are sacred, and Alteans have always had laws and rules against keeping soulmates apart. We at least do not have to fear that fate."

Sendak to a deep breath and nodded, though he wasn’t fully convinced. Galra had sacred laws as well, and yet the druids saw fit to break them without a second thought. Who was to say the Alteans wouldn’t cross the same boundaries if it suited them? 

He stroked slow circles over Lotor’s back. They were both exhausted. If one single good thing had come of the druids’ horrible experiments, it was that he was very apt at reading Lotor’s emotional and physical states through the bond now, and he could feel Lotor’s sleepless nights piled up on him. “You should sleep, love. You look like you were rescued from a secret lab, woke up, rescued your soulmate, piloted through the most dangerous area of the known universe, and haven’t slept for a second of it all. How you still manage to look so beautiful is a mystery, but you should close your eyes now, Starlight. Let me hold you.”

"What a ludicrous sequence of events." Lotor laughed lightly. "I will admit that I am quite tired after everything." He settled back in, pressing himself up against Sendak's side and then relaxing. "You should rest as well. You still need to recover."

Despite the fear nagging at the back of his mind about what the future might hold, it was so easy to close his eyes with Lotor by his side. “Alright, darling. I love you,” he said softly and drifted off to sleep, holding Lotor close.


	8. Chapter 8

The next few days passed slowly, but Sendak was glad for it. It felt like they hadn’t had a single calm moment in phoebs, thought it was probably less than that. He wasn’t able to leave the bed for extended periods of time and he found that, since Lotor dozed on him most times he woke up, he didn’t truly want to. It felt nice. It was the longest period of time they’d ever spent together without the imminent threat of having to leave in a few short hours or being separated by druids, and despite the pain from his healing shoulder he was a lot happier than he’d been in a while. 

Luka came by often, bringing food and staying to chat. Sendak liked her. She was a lot like Lotor, albeit louder and more reckless, and he could tell that Lotor was fiercely protective of her. To his relief, nobody came to remove Lotor from his side and slowly he was able to stand on his own again, even though he was still shaking a little from his weakened state. Sadly the calm did not last, and soon the council called for a meeting to take place to decide what to do with them.

Lotor helped Sendak clean up and dress in respectable-looking clothes that Luka had brought them. The outfit was simple, consisting of a light shirt, a dark blue jacket, and some simple pants that matched the shirt. It was all quite different from Galra clothing, and the thin fabric felt strange to Sendak. Lotor had to pin the left sleeve of the jacket to itself, but it otherwise fit fairly well. Then, Lotor dressed himself in a similarly respectable outfit, with a lightly-embroidered vest over a long tunic and some leggings. He also gathered his hair back into a simple braid.

Once they were ready to go, Lotor offered his hand to Sendak. "I'll do most of the talking, but you should try to speak up a little. Show them that you're intelligent and well-mannered."

Sendak smiled, taking Lotor’s hand. “I’ll try, but I’ve never been very good with politics.” He ran his thumb over the back of Lotor’s hand. “You look very nice,” he said and pressed a kiss to Lotor’s cheek. Since he hadn’t left the room in the house of healing since he’d woken up, he didn’t know where they had to go and decided to simply follow Lotor. He didn’t even know how to get out of the building itself. He took a deep breath, more nervous than he cared to admit. “Shall we?”

Lotor smiled at the compliment, but his expression shifted to a serious one as he nodded. "Yes, let's go." 

As they stepped out of the room, they saw a cluster of four guards ready to escort them. One was that person Sendak recognized as helping rescue Lotor — Luka had mentioned his name was Tavo — and he was the one who stepped forward. "Follow me." 

As they walked out of the house of healing, the bright sunlight shone on them all, and the air was warm. Tavo led them to a large building nearby that was clearly constructed with care. They entered into some kind of lobby, and a large set of double doors loomed before them. Tavo and one of the other guards pulled the doors open, and Lotor squeezed Sendak's hand as they stepped through.

The five council members were seated in an elevated half circle, looking down at them. There were other seats in the large room, all eerily empty. The guards were motioning them towards a pair of chairs placed before the council members. Lotor pulled one chair away and motioned for Sendak to take the other one while he stood beside it.

Sendak caught the eye of the woman sitting in the center of the half circle. According to Lotor’s descriptions, that was Hira, but even without his accurate details, there was no mistaking that icy stare for anyone else. 

After a respectful nod, Sendak sat down and tried to place the other council members, matching them to descriptions Lotor had given him.

Paeanor was the one who was familiar to Sendak, and he sat on the far right from Sendak's perspective. His expression was neutral but attentive, just as it had been most of the time Sendak had interacted with him. 

Between Paeanor and Hira sat the one who must have been Consi. Their appearance was very deliberately androgynous, with soft green tones in their outfit to complement their dark green hair. From what Lotor had told Sendak, they were in charge of managing agriculture and food distribution. 

On Hira's other side sat the youngest member of the council, only a little older than Lotor. This had to be Aedificor, the person who took over from Peretea as head engineer and architect after her death. The way his eyes narrowed as he looked at Lotor confirmed Lotor's warning that this man did not like him. 

Finally, on the far left, there was a middle-aged woman with cropped, pale blue hair who gave Lotor an encouraging smile. This had to be Faela, the person overseeing the raids and other ways of gathering supplies. From Lotor's stories, she was one of the most supportive people he had in his life from his teen years until the present, and she had been the only person Lotor had tried to contact after discovering the soulmate situation who had responded with encouragement and cautious acceptance. She, at least, would be unequivocally on their side. 

Lotor nodded respectfully to them all. "Haven Council, we thank you for allowing us to present our situation to you, and we hope that you will hear us out and treat us with fairness and respect. Sendak, who is my soulmate, and I have been through much already in our efforts to simply find a way to live together in safety and freedom, and we both hope for a peaceful solution to our problem."

Sendak didn’t really have anything to add to that so he remained quiet, simply nodding in agreement to Lotor’s words. The head of the council, Hira, looked at them coldly. “As do we, Lotor, but the situation you have created is quite unfortunate.” She met Sendak’s eyes for a tick and then swept back over to Lotor. “You became a captive of the druids of the empire, and when two of our people defied orders to rescue you, you thank them by stealing a ship in the dead of night. The next thing any of us know is you arriving at our most secure place with one of _them._ Do you have any idea how much you are putting everyone at risk? Do you know how many of us they’ve killed?”

Lotor remained calm, though there was a hint of pleading in his eyes as he took a small step forward, still staying within arms-length from Sendak’s chair. "The initial captivity was not my fault. Romelle challenged my judgement on the latest raid mission and threatened to split the group and lead any who would follow her directly into a trap. I sacrificed myself to give the others the best possible chance of escape." 

"That aligns with the reports I heard from most of the others on that mission," Faela confirmed. "Only Romelle's report varied significantly." She gave Hira a meaningful look. 

Leaning over, Lotor whispered subtly to Sendak, "Tell your side of what you did next."

Sendak nodded and then looked at the council members each in turn. “I gave Lotor the intel for upcoming raids. We both wanted to minimize casualties. A few days later I felt... pain down the bond.” He remembered the sensation vividly, the horrible burning in his chest mixed with echoes of Lotor’s fear. “I looked at the reports from recent raids, trying to find answers, and one of them listed a prisoner, an apprehended Altean. When I saw Lotor’s face in the report, I knew I had to save him or die trying. I couldn’t feel anything from him because the druids were repressing the bond but I knew where he was, so I packed a bag and waited until the beginning of the next day cycle. I went to Central Command on the pretense of wanting to be at the heart of the empire during my requested vacation time. Nobody stopped me when I entered the lab, still following the bond. Deep down I knew it was a trap, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I couldn’t leave him there. It led me into an alchemy suppressing chamber.” 

The sight of Lotor bound and gagged, his wrists rubbed raw from fighting the bonds on that horrible table, flashed before his eyes, and he clenched his teeth. “I couldn’t free him in time.” He paused for a long moment. He didn’t care to relive everything the druids did to them. “When Luka and Tavo came for him, I told them that we were bonded. There was no time to get me out as well, though, so I told them to take him and go.”

He looked at Lotor. He wanted to hold him more than anything, confirm that he was real and that they were together, but he knew it wasn’t the time. “I tried to get them to end it, but they put that _thing_ in my arm. They wanted Lotor back as a test subject. Instead, he managed to break me out.” 

He debated telling them about Kolivan but decided against it. The situation was already difficult enough without having to explain that. 

“He tried to remove their magic from my arm but he couldn’t do it alone, so he brought me here.” He looked at the council members, waiting for them to say something. Hira simply narrowed her eyes at him.

Faela was the most expressive, giving Sendak a sympathetic and kind look as he shared his story. Paeanor looked as somber as professional as usual, but his eyes lacked any judgement or suspicion. By contrast, Aedificor didn't bother to hide his unimpressed look, and Consi looked vaguely troubled and uncertain, though they kept their expression fairly closed-off and difficult to read. 

Lotor placed a hand on Sendak's back encouragingly. "I could not have waited any longer to rescue him. When I awoke, I felt a sensation so strange and wrong in my left arm that I knew the druids were up to some vile trick. I could also feel his despair as plain as day. All I could know for sure was that he thought he was going to die very shortly without any hope of survival, and that terrified me to the core." 

"He had no time to spare," Paeanor verified, drawing the attention of the other council members. "If that dark energy had reached Sendak's brain, he would have been almost completely impossible to save. One more day's hesitation, and Lotor may have arrived to rescue him only to find him already a puppet of those vile creatures. Then his only option would have been to put Sendak out of his misery, and that would have been fatal for Lotor, alone as he was." 

"And I could not stand to just sit back and wait for him to die," Lotor said firmly, building off of Paeanor's addition. "He's not just my soulmate, he's my _beloved._ We had already drawn close and had come to understand each other before all this. Sendak had already been planning to defect and leave the empire as soon as I could finish setting up a new life for him outside the empire's borders. After being imprisoned together, our bond, both in the spiritual and emotional sense, became everything to me."

Sendak met Lotor’s eyes and squeezed his hand. He loved him so much more than he could hope to express. 

Hira straightened in her seat. “In accordance with our ancient traditions, we respect your bond as sacred. However, you must know that as your soulmate is Galra, he is a threat to the safety of the haven. He knows too much and the risk of exposure is much too high to allow him to leave here. Additionally, you have proven to be untrustworthy in the past, disregarding orders and doing as you please. I do not trust your judgement or your loyalties. I would have you both remain here under _close_ observation for the safety of the haven.” She smiled at Lotor but there was nothing warm behind it. “After all, soulmates should not be separated.” 

"Untrustworthy?" Faela sounded personally offended. "If he ever disobeyed orders, they were _my_ orders, and that's between me and him, not you." She leaned forward to ensure that she had Hira's attention even at the angle they were at to each other. "I gave him a certain leniency because he has such unique capabilities. If you have a problem with that, Hira, that is a conversation you should be having with _me_ , not him."

She started to lean back, looking just a little self-satisfied, but then she suddenly leaned forward again. "And for the record, I'm in charge of the ships, and _I_ approve of his use of that ship he took to go save his soulmate. So what if he didn't ask? He knew I'd never deny something this important. I've approved of him suddenly taking off for far less important reasons than this." Now she really did sit back, having quite thoroughly passed the ball back into Hira's court, so to speak. She exchanged a warm and meaningful look with Lotor.

Hira leveled an unimpressed look at Faela. “It is not simply between you and him when it endangers all of us. The empire could have followed him. There could be trackers on them. Any number of things could have gone wrong and it would have affected all of us. It is difficult to disagree with someone whose feelings are your own as well. I do not trust this Galra, and as his soulmate, Lotor is compromised. He might put all of us in jeopardy if he leaves again, so I see no other option but to keep them both grounded.”

"Trackers?" Faela scoffed. "I've taught _all_ my raiders better than that." But it seemed she had no clear counter to the rest of Hira's statement on the spot like that, and she went quiet with an uneasy frown. 

Lotor looked at Hira with a level gaze. "Sendak and I share our feelings, yes, which is why he worked _against_ the empire in attempting to free me. He's a traitor to them now. What motivation could he possibly have to return? They'd kill him on sight or drag him back to the druids' torments." 

Aedificor looked like he entirely disbelieved Lotor. "You're half Galra. If you wanted to, you and your soulmate there could both join the empire's ranks and turn against us all."

Sendak’s eyes snapped to Aedificor. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. Lotor had warned him about some of the council members, but he hadn’t expected anything remotely like this. He narrowed his eyes. “The empire locked us in a chamber with an unbreakable barrier separating us and made us watch as they tortured the other and we _felt_ it. Do not presume to know what we would or could do if you do not even know what you speak of. The empire would send us back to the druids without hesitation.” He realized that everyone was looking at him and that the room had gone silent, watching him. He held his head high, refusing to back down. 

Hira stilled for a moment but recovered quickly. “They might take you back if you sold out the last true Altean safe haven to them. You’d be praised as a hero. I refuse to take that risk.”

"Believe me," Lotor said firmly, sounding offended and very distinctly unimpressed, "I would kill Sendak _myself_ if he tried to do such a thing. The empire would still never accept _me_ under any circumstances — do you know how many pirates I made trades with who were exiles purely for being half-Galra? There were many. Half-Galra aren't welcome in the empire under really any circumstances — so even if Sendak tried to go back, he'd have to leave me."

He took another step forward, more aggressively this time, glaring openly at Hira. "And _even if_ they would take us both, do you really think I have so little loyalty? There are people here I consider friends and family. I would never betray anyone here to the empire. You of all people must know how poorly I get along with Romelle, seeing as you are practically her mentor, and yet you'll notice I still ensured she escaped along with the others even after she challenged me. There is not a single Altean in the universe I would allow to be handed over to the empire, even if saving them meant my own destruction."

Hira’s eyes narrowed. “We appreciate your actions of self sacrifice, Lotor, but I am charged with the defense of this haven, and I cannot allow this. You are asking me to take your word and weigh it against the safety of every single Altean here.” She seemed to emphasize _Altean_ but maybe Sendak was imagining it. “Both of you know too much.” Her face softened but it wasn’t convincing. “Think about it, Lotor, anyone might sell you out to the empire out there. This is the safest place for you to be.”

Lotor frowned, visibly frustrated. "And do what, exactly? Do you really expect the other Alteans to accept Sendak? To let him work a normal job around here? To let the two of us live regular lives among everyone else?" He laughed wryly, mockingly. "Of course not. You've tried in the past to turn them against _me_. You don't care about our wellbeing." 

"We _could_ integrate him into our society," Consi said neutrally. "I could always use another set of strong hands in the fields or to haul supplies. If anyone harassed him, I'd put an end to that very quickly. You could live on the edge of the housing area, if you wanted a bit of privacy." They sounded sincere, like they honestly thought this wouldn't be so bad.

"What you are suggesting affects _me_ and _my_ ability to manage _my_ part of our haven," Faela pointed out, "since you seem so intent on grounding my best raider. Think of the potential if they were both working under my supervision! They could deal with pirates, slip into Galra stations, and even go undercover for short periods of time. Imagine how much more efficient we could be with Sendak's help. And yet you're trying to take away the one person I do have who is capable of this."

Sendak nodded in agreement. “I can help. I know the standard imperial guard patterns and ship layouts well enough. It would be easy to infiltrate them, especially if we could do it together.” 

Hira looked at him with faintly veiled hatred and turned to Faela. “We were fine without him for decaphoebs, Faela, and that was before our haven became almost entirely self-sustaining. The raids are not as important as the safety of our haven, a safety which I cannot guarantee if we let them leave. They will be safe here and we can keep them under supervision for everyone else’s safety.” 

Paenor cleared his throat. “You do realize that this might raise some questions? A half-dead Galra appears at our haven, possessing a sacred bond with one of our own and asking for help, and what the council does is take his arm and imprison him for the crime of being bonded to the wrong person? For needing our help? I will not stand for this.” 

Sendak hadn’t even thought of that, too caught up in the council session. Hira seemed to swallow, as if she hadn’t considered what it might look like to the outside observer. 

“We can give the Galra a prosthetic arm,” came Aedificor’s voice with annoyance.

Consi frowned, looking troubled at what Paeanor suggested. "Perhaps our dear alchemist is right. When viewing the situation in that light, it seems unlikely that our people will be pleased. Isn't that our first concern?" 

Faela jumped on Consi's uncertainty. "Yes! Everyone is going to see that this kind of mistrust and interference is unfair. We _should_ give him a prosthetic as a matter of course as soon as he is healed enough, unless he explicitly tells us otherwise, but even that will not allay suspicion and unease." She directed her argument to Consi, ostensibly because they had been last to speak, though it was fairly obvious she was eager to swing their vote.

Sendak wouldn’t refuse a prosthetic, but he’d much rather have Lotor’s design than anyone else’s. He knew most of the Alteans would not seek to harm him, but it was difficult to believe that when they were threatening him with what might as well have been lifelong imprisonment. 

Hira glared at Faela. “Our priority,” she began, emphasizing each word pointedly, “is the safety of our haven above all else. We must keep our people safe. There are barely any of us left. I am in charge of making sure we do not lose more, and I know that this is the safest option. We have only just managed to rebuild some semblance of a normal life here and I will not risk destroying it.”

Faela looked beyond annoyed and quite possibly furious, though she kept her expression tight and closed-off. She didn't say anything else, but the glare she leveled at Hira said more than words.

Consi cleared their throat. "Unless someone has new information to add, perhaps we should take a brief recess to consider the options that lie before us."

Hira nodded in agreement and before long everyone was filing out of their seats. 

Sendak turned to Lotor and cupped his jaw, running his finger over his cheekbone. “I’m sorry for putting you through this, starlight, I never wanted to come between you and your people.” He took Lotor’s hand again. “Let’s hope the council makes the right decision. We’ve done everything we could to convince them, I believe.”

Lotor sighed. He pulled the other chair back over and slumped down into it with clear exhaustion, leaning into Sendak's touch. "I hope so as well. I'd rather be allowed to leave peacefully than to have to try to escape somehow and run away.”

Just then, Faela approached, and Lotor pulled away from Sendak and stood up again to greet her. Sendak stood as well, staying by Lotor’s side.

She gave Lotor a hug, and he returned it, delicately embracing the much smaller woman. As Faela pulled away, she looked at both Lotor and Sendak apologetically. "Hira really has it out for you both. No matter how this vote goes, she's not going to give up on causing you trouble, I'm sure of that. I'll do what I can to help you boys, though." 

"You've already done so much," Lotor said gently, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Did you really think I would believe that someone as unsubtle as Luka would figure out how to steal a ship unauthorized? What did you do, leave the key to it on her dining table?" 

Faela chuckled, shaking her head. "I assigned Tavo to watch the ships that night and told him in no uncertain terms that I suspected Luka might try to go after you again — she'd already tried a few times, but she was always too unprepared and I simply couldn't let her kill herself trying to go after you alone — and that, if she did, he was _not_ to help her and _not_ to take the ship that had been suspiciously stocked with everything they needed and _not_ to use very specific override codes to get past the security measures." 

Lotor laughed at Faela's description. "Well, whatever you did, _thank you._ We'd both still be trapped if they hadn't gotten me out." 

"Of course." Faela's expression shifted to one of empathy. "The others may not understand, but I do, or at least I understand better than they do." She looked up at Sendak without any trace of fear or apprehension. "Lotor is a good man. If your soul matches his, then that's reason enough for me to trust you too."

Sendak smiled at Faela. It was nice to have someone other than Luka and Lotor look at him like he was a person, not a threat or a pawn. “Thank you very much, you honor me greatly.” From the corner of his eye he caught Hira watching them closely. It left him feeling uneasy. Nevertheless he smiled at Faela again and wrapped his arm around Lotor’s shoulders.

There was a note of wistfulness in Faela's eyes as she looked at them together. "I remember the bond my wife and I shared. While I do not regret having the healers spare me when she died, I do miss her beyond anything else in the universe. I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone, especially not a couple as young as you both. And I'd like to think that even if she hadn't been Altean, even if she had been Galra or Unilu or anything else, I would have loved her the same." With a soft smile and one last touch to Lotor's shoulder, Faela turned away, heading off in Paeanor's direction. 

Lotor sighed a little. "She's always been more open-minded than most here. She was the first to really help me see my Galra abilities as advantages rather than simply things to be hidden or ignored. Between her and Peretea, they helped rebuild and maintain my self-esteem that was so often battered by sidelong glances and passive-aggressive comments."

Sendak pressed a kiss to the side of Lotor’s head. “I’m glad they were there for you. I remember that first time when you snarled at me in that hallway. I hadn’t seen many Alteans, but I was pretty sure they didn’t have fangs. It didn’t seem like something that was possible but you are a perfect balance between our peoples, proof that maybe we don’t have to fight, that we’re stronger together. Maybe some day the rest of us will see it.” 

He glanced over at Hira again, who had begun to speak with Aedificor. “We will make it through this, no matter what their decision is today. I love you and I trust you more than I’ve ever trusted anyone.”

Lotor gave Sendak a grateful smile. "Thank you. You don't know what it means to me to hear you say all those things." He turned to face Sendak and embrace him front-to-front, and he buried his face into his chest. "I love you too. I'll get you out of here somehow, I promise." 

In the background, Paeanor nodded to Faela and then walked toward Consi, only to have Hira notice and call for their attention first. Consi was apparently oblivious to Paeanor's approach and walked over to Hira, leaving both Paeanor and Faela disgruntled.

Sendak frowned. That couldn’t be good. He hugged Lotor closer out of instinct. Maybe Hira wouldn’t be able to convince Consi. He wished he could simply pick Lotor up and carry him away from all of this. Maybe to one of the distant planets he’d talked about where they could hold each other and watch the stars as they passed overhead. He ran his hand over Lotor’s hair, returning to the present. They’d made it this far. Hira would not be the one to keep them down. 

“We’ll be alright. So far we’ve been just as good at getting out of trouble as into it and I intend to keep that streak.” He put on a teasing smile. “Who knows, maybe they’ll let us go, in the end.”

Lotor managed a weak smile in return. "I suppose you're right. I'm sure if it comes to the worst case scenario, there are people who could help us. We'll be alright." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than Sendak. After a few more moments, the council members took their seats again, and Lotor pulled back out of Sendak's arms to stand beside him. Once everyone was in their proper places, the council resumed its session.

Hira looked at her fellow council members and cleared her throat. “We’ve all brought our arguments to the session and debated over what would be best for our haven. The vote will be decided by majority. Both Lotor and his soulmate, Sendak, shall remain grounded for the foreseeable future. A prosthetic arm will be provided, as well as anything they might need. Their safety will be ensured, but they will not be allowed to leave the planet. All in favor?” She raised her hand, Aedificor following immediately. Sendak held his breath, waiting for the others to decide.

Faela scowled, tightening her hands on the armrests of her chair in clear defiance. Paeanor made no movements whatsoever, simply watching the others passively. All eyes were on Consi. They looked conflicted, but they closed their eyes and raised their hand. When they opened their eyes again, they looked apologetic but resolved. 

Through the bond, Sendak could clearly feel the flare of anger and frustration that Lotor did not show. He regarded the council impassively, though there was a hint of something steely in his eyes as his gaze met Hira's.

Hira met Lotor’s gaze but her face remained impassive. Aedificor looked at Lotor with cold amusement that made Sendak want to punch him in the face. He didn’t know what to expect of the Alteans surrounding them so he moved closer to Lotor. 

Hira’s voice cut through the silence of the hall. “Take them away,” she said to one of the guards that had escorted them to the council chamber. “A guard will be assigned to their living quarters.” She locked eyes with Lotor again, as if daring him to protest. “This meeting is adjourned.” Her eyes traveled to Faela, who looked furious, but she didn’t seem to mind.

The guards quickly surrounded them, apparently sensing the hostile atmosphere. Lotor ignored them and kept his expression closed-off, leaving his expression unreadable. Paeanor looked similarly grim as he called out to the guards, "Take them back to the House of Healing. Sendak is not yet fully recovered, and I will need to prepare him for the installation of the prosthetic."

He then looked over at Aedificor, and there was a strange note of something snide in his voice as he told him, "Naturally, you will be designing the prosthetic, since it would be such a challenge for anyone else to design a prosthetic for a race unfamiliar to us. Surely only our head engineer is equal to the task, unless you would like to let Lotor try instead? He was your equal under Peretea's training, so perhaps it would be better for you to allow him to do it while you focus on your regular work."

Aedificor’s eyes narrowed and his mouth turned to a thin line. “Fine. I will be designing a prosthetic for the Galra even though I have more important things to do. We cannot trust Lotor with such a task, who knows what liberties he would take with such a thing.” 

His words were full of poison and Sendak had to restrain himself from physically shielding Lotor. Still, he couldn’t keep himself from speaking up. “I’d much rather have my beloved design my prosthetic.” 

“That will not be possible.” Hira’s voice was as cold as her stare.

Lotor laid a hand on Sendak's arm and looked up at him, very slightly shaking his head. The guards, seeming to sense that this marked the end of the discussion, began herding Sendak and Lotor toward the door. One quietly told them to come along, though none seemed to want to speak too loudly in front of the council. 

It didn't take long for them to return to the room they'd been staying in the past few days. As soon as the doors were closed, leaving Sendak and Lotor alone, Lotor's closed-off expression crumbled into one of anger and dismay. "Those damned fools," he muttered darkly. "I thought Consi had more sense."

Sendak sat down on the bed, tired from the whole affair, and released a long breath. He was exhausted, not just physically. Holding his arm out he looked at Lotor in silent question. He wanted, _needed_ , to hold him right now. He didn’t want to think about what had happened today and what it might mean for the future.

Lotor looked restless and agitated, but as his eyes met Sendak's, his shoulders slumped and his expression crumpled into one of tired resignation. He climbed up onto the bed and pressed himself into Sendak's side, wrapping his arms around him and holding tight with a ferocity he hadn't mustered up even in the druids' lair. 

"We're getting out," Lotor said with absolute certainty. "We'll let them fit you with a prosthetic — Paeanor will let me inspect it first if we insist, I'm sure — and then I'll do whatever it takes to get a message to coordinate with Faela. She won't do anything too overt, but she'll nudge the right people, I'm sure of it. If Paeanor keeps sending Luka in to bring us our meals, it'll be easy; Luka will gladly carry messages for me and for Faela, I'm sure of it." His voice was filled with sharp determination, leaving no room for doubt or argument, but his grim expression betrayed his lack of optimism.

Sendak wrapped his arm around Lotor and held him just as tightly. “We’re getting out,” he repeated with the same certainty Lotor had said it. “I love you.” The words were a reassurance for them both. No matter what happened they would have each other, and that was enough. “I should have listened to you when you said we should leave together.”

_"I_ should have whisked you away that very night you agreed to it," Lotor countered. "I thought I'd set some things up and find you somewhere comfortable to live, give you a false identity so that you could have some independence, and maybe even find a source of income for you so that I could be sure you'd be self-sufficient if I had to leave you alone for a while..." He shook his head. "It's my fault. I should have taken you to the base that very night and sorted everything else out later. You would have been bored, but you would have been _safe."_

Sendak cupped Lotor’s jaw and tilted his chin up to meet his eyes. “You would have still gotten captured and I would have come after you regardless.” He smiled fondly. “But I appreciate the consideration. I imagine I would have spent a lot of time on the observation deck, anxiously waiting for your return whenever you were gone.” He smoothed his hand over Lotor’s hair and kissed his forehead. “I do enjoy the idea of my beautiful soulmate whisking me away.”

Lotor tried to smile back, though the attempt was faint and didn't last long. "I suppose you're right. It wasn't the fact that you stayed that caused all this." He then managed a more sincere smile as he continued, "And I _will_ whisk you away, as soon as you're well enough. Then it'll be you, me, and the stars." His smile shifted into something more thoughtful. "I wonder if Kolivan stayed at the base. If he's still there when we get back to it, we can work with him to set things up for all three of us to be self-sufficient. It'll be easier to generate income and keep the base supplied if there are three of us than just two."

Sendak nodded. “I believe he’s still there and even if he isn’t, he left a message so we could find him. He’s a good man. I think we could find a way to make everything work out together.” He released a short breath. “I wish we could get a message to him to let him know we’re alright, but there’s no way we can manage that. I understand that these people are scared but this... it didn’t seem to have much to do with that. There’s little I could do in my current state, and there’s no reason for all of this. It feels like an elaborate way to get to you. Why does Hira hate you so much?” He ran his fingers through Lotor’s hair affectionately.

A feeling of pure _disgust_ came clear as day over their bond, and it was echoed on Lotor's face. "It's simple, really. I'm not the only half-Altean, and the few others among the population agree that Hira mistreats all of us. I think I attract more of her hatred than the others, however, due to my independent attitude and my lack of shame. No matter how often she has tried to make me feel lesser, I know that my racial identity is nothing to be ashamed of. And, of course, she hates and fears Galra, so that adds to her treatment of me."

Sendak gently tucked some of Lotor’s hair behind his delicately pointed ear. “I’m sorry she treats you this way. I can only imagine how hard it must’ve been to live with _that.”_

Lotor smiled wryly and shook his head. "Thankfully, I didn't have to contend with her until I was already well into adolescence. The Alteans were initially scattered into dozens of tiny groups that slowly coalesced together as we found safer hiding places. The group Hira led merged with my group when I was nearly an adult and already had a strong sense of the value of my identity and abilities."

Sendak looked into Lotor’s eyes and reached for his hand. “Are you alright after everything that happened today? We both know she’s doing this to hurt you and I don’t want her to succeed, so if there’s anything I can do...”

He squeezed Sendak's hand reassuringly. "I'm still very upset and disappointed, but I'm not... I'm not disturbed or discouraged. I know we'll find a way through this. It'll take more than Hira's meddling to tear us down."

Sendak pressed a kiss to Lotor’s forehead. “Alright. I had to repress the urge to snarl at some of those bastards today, so I’m glad you’re feeling alright.” He’d wanted to pick Lotor up and walk out of the building as soon as Hira started talking. Now that all the excitement was over, he realized he hadn’t eaten much all day and Lotor hadn’t either. “You should eat something. I suppose we have to wait for Luka to bring us our meals again?” He said with a short sigh.

Lotor nodded, looking vaguely displeased. "Yes, and that likely won't happen until Paeanor returns from the council and lets her know what happened. It may be a little while." He picked up his datapad, turning it on only for the half-finished prosthetic design to pop up. "I'll have to make changes to this after I see what kind of attachment port Paeanor gives you." He pulled up some standard-looking references to show Sendak, and it seemed painfully clear that he was trying to distract them both.

Sendak appreciated it. They both needed a break. He wrapped his arm around Lotor’s shoulders and looked at the design. “How does it work? Is there a neural link to the attachment port?” He didn’t know much about prosthetics. “The Galra tend to make them into weapons and nothing more but... is it possible that I might _feel_ anything again with a proper prosthetic?” He wanted to be able to rely on his arm if he needed to but he also wanted to be able to hold Lotor again. Properly.

"Possible?" Lotor looked confused for a brief moment before a grin spread across his face. "Darling, I think you will be quite impressed. Altean alchemy allows the prosthetic to be linked with your own natural energy. It may not feel exactly the same compared to your natural arm, but it will have a wide range of sensations." He pulled up a diagram that showed the different parts of the prosthetic. "The attachment port will be linked to your mind, yes. It will be installed into your body, and it's meant to be permanent. The prosthetic will then attach to that, and you will be able to unlink and remove it from the port at will. I'm sure the one they give you will only have practical uses, but when we get back to the base, I can add features to weaponize it as well if you want me to."

Sendak stared at the diagram in awe. The arm looked so precise and proportionate, much different than he’d seen on other Galra. “I would like that,” he said after a pause. The idea that he might be able to fight again, to protect himself, was almost too good to be true. “But I would also like to hold you without fearing that I might hurt you.” Doing so with a weaponized prosthetic might prove difficult.

"No need to fear." Lotor pulled up a separate window and began showing Sendak examples of Altean prosthetics with standard weaponization. "I can program it with safety features to ensure that it can only be deadly in combat. Since it is connected to your mind, it will also depend on your intent, so if you intend to injure without killing, it should do exactly that." Then, he switched the viewing mode of the diagram again to now show what seemed to be its energy flows. "As for using it on _me,_ well, our energies are already naturally attuned to each other. The weaponization has built-in safety to prevent its usage on the user's own body, but because that safety is energy-based, it will likely work to prevent it from hurting me as well. It may not function the same way due to the difference in our how our energy manifests, being of different species, but I would love to experiment with that — safely, applying the safety procedures to non-damaging features — and see."

Sendak smiled fondly at Lotor’s stream of ideas. It was wonderful to see him perk up when confronted with a technical problem. “You’re amazing. That sounds incredible.” He studied the arm’s layout some more. “Galra use very large prosthetics to be able to fit deadlier weapons inside them and make them more efficient.” He smirked at Lotor. “Do you think you can upstage them without the bulk?” He thought he’d never get to protect Lotor again. It wasn’t that he needed to but it felt good that he might have that safety back.

"Galra technology has only Quintessence," Lotor said by way of an answer. "I have the advantage of Altean Alchemy _and_ Quintessence, so long as I have a supply of the latter, and I keep a few vats in the base just for projects like this. Trust me, anything they can do, I can do better." He pointed out how the energy flows went right to the palm of the hand. "Most of the capability here will be energy-based. It will have the same ability as a basic Galra prosthetic to heat up, and if you concentrate the energy, you could create a small blast. However..."

His eyes lit up with a fresh idea. "Oh, perhaps I could experiment with one of the other things I've kept lying around at that base, something Peretea had been very interested in but Aedificor had dismissed as not worth experimenting with. You see, I have a sizable cache of luxite..." He looked at Sendak for his reaction to that.

"Peretea was trying to make a ship that could change size," he continued. "I've concluded that this is next to impossible, but now I have enough luxite to build a small fighter in its _inert_ form. If I can make a new hand for the arm out of luxite — and I make no guarantees about this, as I've never tried a project quite like this with that stuff — I may be able to allow you to change the shape of your hand to a blade and back again."

Sendak’s eyes widened at the mention of the rare metal. Even a small amount of luxite was worth a fortune. He could hardly imagine it, having a blade as an extension of his arm at any given moment. It would be perfect. “That sounds incredible. Do you know how to work luxite? It’s barely a rumor to me, but I’ve heard it’s difficult to understand and make into something functional. Where did you get so much that you could potentially build a ship out of it?” It was possibly the rarest tangible material in the universe.

"It took many, _many_ raids and a lot of trading with pirates." Lotor looked a little distant. "Of course, the raids were always for more than just luxite, but for a long while, that was among the materials we were trying to collect." He set the datapad down for the moment and settled back. He was more relaxed than earlier, though he still carried some tension in his body. "I have some experience with working it, but my knowledge is incomplete. My attempts at crafting weapons out of it have been rather poor so far. I have better luck when using it in different ways, more for building than for weapon-crafting. If I had someone who could teach me the Galra ways of working with it, I might have better luck. So far, that hasn't been a risk worth taking, but if it will help you, I may try to find a defector from the empire who could teach me."

Sendak pressed a gentle kiss to Lotor’s temple and stroked his shoulder. “I wouldn’t want you to risk so much for it. Maybe our _helpful traitor_ has some ideas.” Or maybe Kolivan knew someone who did. He seemed like someone who had a lot of knowledge of the empire’s secrets. “Luxite working is old and most of the deposits were thought to already have been depleted, though I have no doubt the empire keeps a stock of it hidden away. You might have more luck with someone unassociated with the empire.”

Lotor nodded, leaning into Sendak's touch. "You do have a good point. I'll talk to him and look for options when we get back." A distant expression came over his face, and he asked softly, "Do you think, by now, he's wondering whether we've died? We haven't been able to contact him for several days."

“I like to think he has more faith in us than that. He saw you break into the most secure part of Central Command unassisted, I believe he has a high opinion of your abilities.” He paused, nuzzling the top of Lotor’s head affectionately. “I do feel bad to leave him guessing like this. Do you think it might be possible for someone to... send a message?”

Lotor pursed his lips. "Perhaps. Faela may be willing to, but then again, there would be a risk of Hira finding out. If I had left a private communicator with him, it would be no problem, but she'd have to send a transmission from the central communications here out to that base." He drummed his fingers on the back of his datapad as he stared at the opposite wall with a thoughtful expression. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "I... hmm..."

Sendak smiled at the way Lotor became completely focused. “I know that look. What are you thinking of?” He smirked at Lotor as he said it. Lotor’s expression likely meant he had an idea, and a risky one at that.

"Well..." Lotor's eyes narrowed a little. "I know she made herself her own little communications array as a backup in case we needed to talk if ever I lost my small communicator and had to contact her directly from the base or another old hideout. It's been so long since we've even tested it that she may have disassembled it by now, but if it's still lying around... well, it's worth asking, I suppose." He didn't look overly hopeful about it, but he didn't look particularly pessimistic, either.

Sendak nuzzled the top of Lotor’s head. He’d never get tired of having him as close as possible “It can’t hurt to ask, besides, I wouldn’t put it past her to put it back together again for you. She cares a great deal about you.” Sendak probably respected Faela more than anyone else here for it. “She’s probably still yelling at Hira as we speak.”

Lotor chuckled a little. "She's certainly going to make her displeasure known, yes. Considering that they likely had other matters to attend to before dismissing the Council, she may be countering everything Hira wants just to prove a point."

Sendak released a breath of laughter. “I would enjoy watching that,” he said with a smile. His expression turned more serious after a moment. “Lotor… we’ll get through this, I know we will.”

Lotor leaned into him more, resting his head on his shoulder. “Yes, we will. I promise.”


	9. Chapter 9

Waiting around for answers was… boring. It wasn’t that their stay in the House of Healing was uncomfortable by any means, but being trapped in a single room while they awaited news on a more permanent fate wasn’t exactly their idea of a relaxing vacation.

Ideally, it would be good to _know_ what fate awaited to them beyond Hira’s declaration that they wouldn’t be leaving the planet, but the evening after the council meeting and all of the following day passed without any news. They speculated quietly from time to time, with Lotor concluding that the only thing remotely approaching a compromise Hira and Faela could possibly allow for the time being would be for Consi to push through their proposal of having Lotor and Sendak work for them. Farming was just demeaning enough that Hira might be satisfied and just safe enough that Faela might be willing to agree to it as a temporary measure until she could get something else worked out.

But still… they couldn’t _know._

Around dinnertime, after a long day of sitting around doing less than nothing, there were two firm knocks at the door, unlike the usual softer three knocks Luka would give. Lotor sat up straight and looked at it with confusion. "Come in?"

The person who appeared in the door looked similar to Luka. She had much shorter and slightly darker hair, and she looked perhaps a little shorter overall, but she had more body mass. Her build was still athletic, but she looked just a little more muscular than Luka's slender frame — more like a fighter, rather a healer. Her skin was also a few shades darker, closer to Lotor's medium brown than Luka's pale tones. Still, her eyes and the shape of her face were incredibly similar to Luka's even at a cursory glance.

"Merla." Lotor's voice held no small measure of surprise. "I expected your sister." The unspoken question of what she was doing there instead hung in the air, almost but not quite hostile. 

Merla seemed completely unbothered by Lotor's edge of suspicion as she stepped forward, carrying a tray of food. "Luka is busy with a patient. I came to see her, and she asked me to bring this to you, since she's preoccupied at the moment." She set the tray on the bedside table, carefully moving Lotor's datapad aside. "Now, aren't you going to introduce me to your soulmate?" 

Lotor seemed to hesitate a moment, but then he motioned to Sendak. "This is Sendak." Then, he looked to Sendak and motioned to Merla. "Sendak, this is Luka's older sister, Merla. She works under Hira as part of the haven's defense." 

"And I challenge any order I disagree with," she added quickly. "Hira is a fool. If it wasn't for _me_ and my willingness to actually coordinate efforts with Faela, we would’ve blown our own ships out of the sky a dozen times over."

Sendak met her gaze. She shared the fire with her sister but there was something more cold about her, more calculating. “What seems to be the most recent order you disagree with?” The question was vague enough, and since Lotor seemed suspicious of her, it was probably in his best interest to tread carefully.

There was a hint of a smirk in Merla's otherwise neutral expression as she glanced briefly at Lotor before returning her gaze to Sendak. "Direct order to me? I'd have to say the order not to let you land or to immediately arrest you if you did, if I happened to be on duty at the time. By the whim of the gods, I'd been on night shift, so I was sound asleep when you guys came and didn't hear a peep about it until I woke up in the evening and realized Luka still wasn't home." 

She sat down on the edge of the bed, seemingly uncaring about her lack of invitation to do so. "So..." There was something too deliberately casual about the way she leaned back as she looked over at them both. "The tomcat has finally met his mate, huh?" She smirked teasingly. 

"Don't mind her." Lotor sounded a little annoyed. "She and I used to be... _involved_ a long time ago. She's made it her personal mission to tease me about my love life ever since." 

"Only because it gets under your skin quicker than anything else," Merla admitted unabashedly with clear amusement. "Not that there's anything to tease you about anymore, unfortunately."

Sendak studied the way Merla reclined casually, the way she seemed to be very comfortable around Lotor in spite of his reaction to her. Despite the fact that he’d only known her for a few ticks, he found himself willing to trust her. As he looked more closely at Lotor’s emotional state through their bond, he realized that Lotor was _embarrassed_ more than anything else. Perhaps he’d read the situation wrong at first. It seemed now that this wasn’t so much outright hostility as a friendly rivalry, one in which Merla was in the lead and Lotor knew it all too well.

He put his head on Lotor’s shoulder and shot her a smirk. “What did you tease him about?” he asked and pulled Lotor a little closer.

Merla chuckled and then raised an eyebrow at Lotor. "Let's see, _how_ many of our peers did you sleep with? Or would it be easier to ask how many you _didn't_ sleep with?" Lotor pouted, glaring at her with annoyance but without much antagonism. 

Eyes sparkling with mischief, Merla turned her attention back to Sendak. "Do you want to hear the nickname Darbiah came up with for him?" 

Lotor tensed and started to sit up. "Don't you dare—"

_"Slutor."_ Merla looked overly pleased at that one. "Of course, she would know. She's probably slept with him almost as much as I have." 

With a groan, Lotor buried his face in his hands. "Why must you talk about this in front of my soulmate?"

Sendak chuckled despite his efforts to keep quiet, more because of Lotor’s reaction than what Merla was saying. “You’re so cute when you’re flustered,” he whispered into Lotor’s ear. “No wonder you’re so good,” he said so quietly that only Lotor could hear. 

He turned his attention back to Merla. “You two had fun, I hope?” He couldn’t stop smiling as he rubbed his cheek against Lotor’s. It felt good, this playfulness that Merla had brought with her, they both needed it after today.

Lotor's cheeks darkened, and he kept his face covered. "Not you too..."

Merla grinned, looking all too satisfied with Lotor's flustered state. "Oh yes, us two, or occasionally three, or six that one time." 

Lotor's head snapped up, and he leveled an accusatory glare at Merla. "We agreed never to speak of that again." 

"That _was_ quite a fiasco," Merla admitted, chuckling. "But that was years ago, and besides, doesn't your soulmate deserve to know what kind of devious mind he's been linked to now?"

When Lotor had no response to that, Merla turned her attention back to Sendak. "If he hasn't yet, get him to use his shapeshifting in bed. He can be _quite_ creative with it. And don't be afraid to hurt him a little; he's more sensitive with a bit of adrenaline in his veins. I don't know if you switch, but he sure as hell can. He won't admit it, but he likes being dominated, especially if he can fight back a little first and make his dom work for it. In my personal experience, he fights back only when he's feeling playful, so that's a sign that he's _more_ comfortable when he does that, not less. From what I've heard from others who were more inclined to sub, he's also a good dom in his own right if you're into that, though he's not very forceful."

Lotor had his head fully buried into Sendak's shoulder by this point, and the tips of his ears were bright red. Merla raised an eyebrow at this and commented, "He's usually much more composed than this and harder to fluster. He must really have his guard down around you."

Sendak looked down fondly at Lotor, who still had his face buried in his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around him and held him even closer than he already was and planted a kiss at the top of his head. “It’s an honor that he trusts me so much.” He looked back at Merla, still keeping his hand gently on Lotor’s back. “Thank you. For the advice and the distraction. We both needed it, and I’m sure I’ll find a use for the other information you’ve given me.” He smirked and squeezed Lotor’s side.

Merla's expression softened a little into something sympathetic. "Yeah, well... as much as Lotor and I fight and compete and keep secrets from each other, at the end of the day, he's one of us, and nothing's ever going to change that. And it doesn't matter that you don't have a drop of Altean blood in you — hell, it doesn't even matter if you have a few _on_ you — you're his soulmate, so you're part of the family too. I know Luka feels the same way." Shifting to get up, she reached out and patted Lotor's shoulder. "I know you'll figure this out. I mean, you're almost as smart as me, so that's saying a lot." 

Lotor snorted and turned to face her, though his cheeks and ears were still rather red. "Oh please. We both know I'm smarter." 

"Mmhmm, whatever you say," Merla quipped sarcastically. "Well, I should go. Let Luka know if you want to see me again to talk or..." She smirked at Sendak. "...if you want a demonstration, perhaps, if you're into threesomes. Of course, don't tell Luka that's what you're asking for. The poor girl would die of embarrassment, and I do _try_ to keep her a little purer than me." 

"Not a hard goal, whore," Lotor called after her, but it sounded more like friendly teasing now. 

"You would know, slut." Merla stood and headed toward the door. "Good luck, you two."

Sendak smiled at her with amusement. “Thank you,” he said and Merla smiled back at him before closing the door. He turned his attention towards Lotor who was still pressed against him. “I don’t think I’ll take her up on that offer, I can hardly handle one of you.” He threaded his fingers through Lotor’s hair and made a fist, tilting his head up to look at him. He carefully tightened his grip, not enough to hurt but enough to let Lotor feel it. He brought his face closer to Lotor’s and whispered in his ear, letting his breath ghost over his skin. “Is there any truth to the other things she said?” He grazed his fangs over the side of Lotor’s neck, still exposed from Sendak’s grip on his hair.

Lotor inhaled sharply, and his body tensed up as he shivered. His heartbeat and breaths quickened, but it was clear enough from how he leaned into Sendak that he wanted more, and it was easy for Sendak to feel his excitement. For a few long ticks, Lotor did not answer, staying frozen in Sendak's touch. Then, he calmed his breathing and brought a hand to Sendak's abdomen, slowly moving it down toward his groin. "Perhaps you should try them and see for yourself," he whispered, laying a hint of seduction into his answer.

Sendak nipped him lightly with his fangs and caught Lotor’s wrist before it could move further. “Let’s not be hasty.” He squeezed firmly, an order and a warning, before letting go and tilting Lotor’s chin up. “Let’s see if you can be good for me.” Trailing his hand down Lotor’s neck to the fastenings of his tunic he tugged at them playfully. “Can you get all these off for me?”

Lotor's eyes sparkled with mischief as he started to undo the fastenings. "I can be very good when I want to be," he answered coyly. "I just haven't decided yet whether I want to." 

He started to pull his tunic off with seductive grace and teasing slowness, revealing his smooth skin bit by little bit. There was a hint of challenge in his eyes as he smirked in self-satisfaction. "Like this?"

Sendak ran his index finger over the exposed skin. “Yes, that’s perfect. Keep going,” he returned his hand to its place on Lotor’s chin. “I want you bare before me so I can decide what to do with you. Maybe you even have some suggestions.” Leaning in, he whispered softly into Lotor’s delicately pointed ear. “What is it that you want, Lotor?”

Lotor bit his lip, catching it delicately on the points of his tiny fangs. He pulled his tunic off the rest of the way, leaving himself topless, and then he started to work on the fastenings of his pants. "What I want," he answered slowly as he slid his pants over his thighs with equal slowness, "is to see what you're capable of." He kicked the pants off the rest of the way and made quick work of removing his underwear, finally leaving him completely exposed to Sendak's sight. Without waiting for any cue or command, Lotor began to unfasten Sendak's clothes, eyeing every bit of purple fur he unveiled with hungry desire.

Sendak chuckled softly. He would have liked to make Lotor wait for him to undress himself but it was a lot easier if Lotor helped him while he had only one arm to work with. Once Lotor helped him to undress fully he smirked at him, taking him in for the first time since that first night together. “You look stunning.” He ran his thumb over Lotor’s cheekbone and then splayed out his hand in the center of his chest and pressed him down into the mattress. He settled down above him, effectively keeping him pinned with his hand. “You’re so fierce and capable that I forget how easy it is to manhandle you.” He emphasized his words by tapping his fingers on Lotor’s chest and leaned down to bite the tip of his ear. “I won’t forget it tonight,” he said in a low purr.

Lotor bit his lip and squirmed, trying to arch up his back but failing because of how he was pinned. He pressed his hands to Sendak's chest, ostensibly trying to push him off, though he hardly used any actual pressure, and his smirk betrayed his true feelings. Squeezing Sendak's pecs a little, Lotor looked up at him with overdramatic concern. "You're such a brute. So big and muscular... You could fold me in half. You could do _anything_ to me." He kept his legs together and brought one knee up to hide his erection behind his thigh.

Sendak hummed, making sure Lotor could feel it. “I could. I could do anything I wanted. Easily.” He looked into Lotor’s eyes and cocked his head. “Would you like that? If I used you as I wanted, taking my pleasure?” He dragged his hand over Lotor’s smooth stomach, occasionally letting him feel the light scratch of his claws. His hand came to rest on Lotor’s ass and he squeezed it firmly. “This is mine. All of it. Do you want me to claim it?”

Lotor's eyes widened and his breathing stopped for a few ticks. Precum began to bead up at the tip of his cock, making it extremely clear just how much Sendak's words were affecting him. A visible shudder ran through his body. After swallowing hard, he parted his lips, but it took a moment before he managed a reply. " _Yes_ ," he breathed. Then, as if that affirmation had given him back his defiant energy, his gaze regained its challenging edge. "I want you to prove yourself." His voice was low and quiet but not meek. "Prove you're strong enough to control me. Prove I'm yours." The corners of his mouth raised in just a hint of a challenging smile. "Claim me, _if you can_."

Lotor’s words went straight to Sendak’s cock. His challenge was so much more delicious than Sendak could have predicted and he ran a possessive hand over the side of Lotor’s ribs, delighting in the smooth skin. Leaning down he pressed a soft kiss to Lotor’s jawline. “I will,” he said and rubbed his cheek against Lotor’s. Without warning he grabbed Lotor’s side and flipped him over, pressing himself into his back and keeping him pinned with his hand between his shoulder blades. He nuzzled Lotor’s neck affectionately. “You’re mine and I want you to know it. I want you to feel it.” He dragged his fangs over the side of Lotor’s neck in some combination of a playful threat and a promise.

At first, Lotor squirmed, but he stilled the moment Sendak's fangs touched his neck. He was still tense, not yet giving in and submitting, but rather more like a cornered animal waiting for the right moment to bolt or to strike back. With smaller movements, he tested Sendak's hold, checking for any way out from under him. Then, suddenly, he braced his hands under himself and pushed up with enough force to lift himself up from the bed, despite Sendak's strength pressing him down. The burst of strength faded quickly, however, and his elbows buckled after a mere couple of ticks. As he fell back to the bed, his hands slipped from their positions, all-too-conveniently ending up close together above his head. He panted from the momentary exertion, seeming to have spent too much energy at once to strike out again just yet.

Sendak smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to the place he’d had his fangs seconds ago and moved his hand to hold Lotor’s above his head in a firm grip. He stretched Lotor out and pressed a kiss to the nape of his neck, inhaling his unique scent. “So pretty and perfect. It will be an honor to claim you. You’re mine,” his voice was a near growl. “I want you to say it.”

" _Make me_ ," Lotor growled back. He squirmed, tugging at the grip on his wrists. "Claim me and make me say it." He looked over his shoulder at Sendak, revealing an excited grin on his face. His eyes were bright with mischief as he rolled his hips back, grinding his ass up against Sendak's groin. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

Sendak nipped the tip of Lotor’s ear. “So impatient. I’ll have to work on that.” He tightened his grip on Lotor’s wrists minutely. “Maybe I’ll teach you a lesson.” He would have liked to maintain his grip on Lotor’s wrists as he opened him up but that would have to wait. Releasing Lotor’s hands, he trailed his claws down the line of his spine. Palming his ass, he spread it slowly. Lotor’s ass was perfectly shaped and smooth and Sendak wanted to squeeze it, but for now he had a better idea.

He licked a long stripe along Lotor’s entrance. “You want me to _make you_ say it?” He dragged his fangs over the same spot. “I’ll only fuck you properly if you tell me what I want to hear.”

Lotor fisted his hands into the sheets, giving himself an anchor. A loud moan, perhaps one of surprise, escaped him the moment Sendak's tongue touched his sensitive rim. "Oh gods..." Although he shuddered at Sendak's words, Lotor seemed to pull himself together just enough to be rebellious again. He squirmed again, pushing his ass up toward Sendak's face. "I'll never beg," he said boldly, though he didn't sound serious about it at all. "No matter how much you tease me, I'm not going to beg for it."

Sendak smiled. He loved seeing this playful side of Lotor. “We’ll see about that,” he said and moved his hand to lightly stroke Lotor’s cock, continuing to open him up with his tongue but paying close attention to his reactions. If Lotor wanted to know what he was capable of, he’d show him. He wanted Lotor boneless and sated when he was done with him.

"OH- _ohhhh..."_ Lotor moaned and then panted at the sudden touch. His hips shifted indecisively, pushing forward into Sendak's hand and backward against his tongue. He groaned deeply, trailing off into a desperate whine. He moved one hand down to cover his mouth, stifling his moans and whimpers. Though he still didn't beg with words yet, the sounds he was making were very needy.

Sendak could practically feel Lotor’s desperation but he knew his pride would keep him from slipping. It didn’t matter, he could be very patient if he wanted. He stroked Lotor’s length slowly and gently, taking his time to stimulate him but evidently not enough to satisfy him. His tongue matched his slow, even strokes and he made sure that Lotor could feel the presence of his fangs.

A broken and desperate whimper fell from Lotor's lips, then another. He tried to thrust into Sendak's hand, but he ended up groaning in frustration and giving that effort up after only a few ticks. " _Ngh_... Se-" He cut himself off, stopping the plea before he could finish voicing it. His desperation was clear in every line of his body, though. It would not be long before he broke.

Sendak pulled back marginally, a satisfied smirk on his face. He loosened his grip on Lotor’s cock, reducing his contact to barely-there touches. “That’s right, love, let me hear you. You know you want to go further, you want more and I can give it to you.” He dragged his tongue over Lotor’s sensitive rim again in emphasis. “You just have to ask.”

Lotor _whined_ , making an absolutely pitiful and abject sound of desperation. He squirmed restlessly, trying to thrust into Sendak's hand. "Q-quiznak..." All at once, all the tension in his body suddenly vanished as if from a cut string. He laid still under Sendak, panting. " _Please_ ," he whispered. "Sendak, pleaseeee..." He dragged the word out into a bratty whine. Looking over his shoulder, he gave Sendak an absolutely pitiful expression. "I need you."

Sendak smiled and planted a kiss on Lotor’s lower back. “So good for me,” he said in a low voice. “You need me?” He sat up and pulled Lotor’s hips further towards him, lining himself up and pressing the tip of his cock against Lotor’s entrance. Their little game had left him unbearably hard and he wanted to thrust forward but he restrained himself. He would have loved to hold Lotor down, hold his hands above his head in an unbreakable grip and leave kisses and bites on his back, but he couldn’t do that right now. “Tell me how much you need me,” he whispered and pressed lightly into him, just enough to leave him wanting.

Lotor shivered and tilted his hips further, and he let out a small noise of frustration when this failed to make Sendak's cock actually slip into him. "Sendak..." He grabbed the sheets in his fists with a white-knuckle grip. This resistance only lasted for a brief moment before he gave up, sighing before finally telling Sendak, "I need you inside me so badly. I haven't had you in so long, and I need you to fill me and make me cum. Sendak, _please_..."

Sendak squeezed Lotor’s hip and began sliding in slowly. It was impossible to think as he bottomed out, fully inside Lotor’s delicious heat. He took a few deep breaths before bending down and running a possessive hand up Lotor’s side. His hand found its way back between Lotor’s shoulder blades and he kept him gently pinned down. “You’re so good. I wonder if that’s because you want to be or because you needed this so much.” He rolled his hips forward slowly, far slower than he knew Lotor wanted. “But I meant it.” Grazing the tip of Lotor’s ear with his fangs he whispered: “I won’t fuck you properly until you tell me who you belong to.”

Lotor shivered under the sensual touches, but then he huffed — quite nearly a sob — with frustration at Sendak's reminder of his ultimatum. One last time, he put up a token resistance, squirming and trying to fuck himself on Sendak's cock. "Sendak, please." Lotor sounded desperate and pleading, but he wasn't quite saying what Sendak wanted to hear yet. He swallowed hard. "I... I'm... I'm yours," he finally forced out. The tips of his were burning. "I'm yours. Please."

Sendak gently smoothed his hand over the expanse of Lotor’s back. “You’re so beautiful. So sweet, but only for me. You wouldn’t let anyone else see you like this, would you?” He brought his hand to Lotor’s hip, steadying him. “I’ll take care of you.” The first real roll of his hips had him seeing stars. He’d been so focused on Lotor that he’d almost forgotten how much he wanted this. Releasing a low moan he pressed his forehead against Lotor’s back. “You feel so good,” he breathed, unable to say more.

"Only for you," Lotor affirmed, moaning in bliss and relaxing a little under Sendak. "No one else, never again. I'm yours." Now the words came easily, without hesitation. Since he had given in and finished with his bratty behavior, he wasn't squirming anymore, simply tilting his hips back and letting Sendak do the work. His fists still held the sheets tightly, and he kept his hands in place as he braced himself a little against Sendak's thrusts, going up on his knees and elbows in a submissive posture that gave Sendak a better angle.

Sendak hummed, his rhythm stuttering at the way Lotor arched into him. He was perfect like this, so pliant, like he was finally allowing himself to relax. “I should reward you for being so good,” he said, breathing heavily from the pleasure already building. He let his hand travel to Lotor’s ass and squeezed firmly. “Is there anything you want, love?”

" _More_ ," Lotor groaned without hesitation. He arched just a little more, changing the angle a little and moaning at the result. "Harder!"

Sendak slowed slightly and dragged a claw down the line of Lotor’s spine. “How could I refuse such a wonderful request?” He smiled and sat up, bringing Lotor with him and making him slide further onto his cock. “Hands behind your back,” he whispered into Lotor’s ear once he’d caught his breath.

Lotor groaned deeply. He squirmed, but that only made him settle even further down on Sendak's cock. His every breath was labored. "You're going to kill me," he moaned as he complied with Sendak's command, crossing his arms behind his back and holding onto his own forearms. He sounded utterly in bliss, and he tipped his head back as he clenched down around Sendak's cock.

Sendak pulled Lotor closer against his chest, nuzzling the side of his neck. “I hope not, I’d love to repeat this over and over again.” He let his fangs drag over Lotor’s neck and let his hand trail down his abdomen to his cock, giving it a light stroke and rolling his hips. “I’m the only one who’s allowed to touch you tonight, understand, love? You come when I let you or not at all.” He loved the way Lotor melted against him and gave him access to his graceful neck, allowing him to riddle it with small bite marks.

Lotor shivered, tipping his head even further to the side in an invitation. _"Yes, Sendak,"_ he whispered. "Only you." He ground his hips down restlessly and impatiently, at first trying to force a faster rhythm than Sendak's steady pace. Soon, however, he relented, slowing his own movements to match every roll of Sendak's hips. He let out soft whimpers and moans as he surrendered.

Sendak mouthed at Lotor’s neck. “So pretty and perfect for me.” He wrapped his arm around Lotor’s chest, steadying him. “You’ve been so good. You deserve this.” With that he picked up his pace. The way Lotor felt on him was breathtaking and he couldn’t hold back a low moan despite trying to maintain his composure. He kept up the pace, feeling himself draw closer to the edge with each roll of his hips. Each breath was full of Lotor’s intoxicating scent and he wanted more.

Lotor's little sounds of pleasure steadily increased in volume, and his uneven breaths were peppered with little gasps and groans whenever Sendak thrusted into him harder. "Don't stop," he begged breathlessly. His body clenched sporadically around Sendak's cock, and he ground his hips into Sendak's. "I-I'm close–!"

Lotor’s begging nearly made him find his release instantly. It was so sweet and breathless, Sendak could listen to it all day. The way Lotor moved over him only increased his desire for him.

He brought his hand up to caress Lotor’s cheek and whispered in Lotor’s ear. “Let go for me, love,” he said and gently kissed every part of Lotor he could reach.

For one moment, Lotor's entire body tensed up, with his breath held and his hole clenched tightly around Sendak's cock. Then, all the tension left him in a full-body shudder as he exhaled in a long moan. His cum spilled over his own abdomen and then he sank back against Sendak's chest.

The uncontrolled movements of Lotor’s muscles sent Sendak flying over the edge to meet him. He threw his head back and groaned as he spilled inside Lotor. He’d barely caught his breath, still lost in the pure bliss he was feeling, when he coaxed Lotor’s arms apart and held him gently. “Are you alright?” he asked and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

_"No,"_ Lotor moaned, sounding utterly blissed-out. "I am beyond 'alright.' I've transcended into some other plane of existence." His body was so relaxed that it was almost limp. He nuzzled lazily into Sendak's neck, simply breathing through his fur. "I was right," he mumbled. "You _did_ kill me. This must be the Beyond."

Sendak smiled at him fondly and smoothed his hand over Lotor’s soft hair. “I hope not. I still have so many things I want to do with you.” He leaned in closer, his breath ghosting over Lotor’s pointed ear. “And to you,” he whispered.

He lifted Lotor off himself and lowered him to the sheets. “I love you. I’ll be right back,” he said and pressed a kiss to Lotor’s forehead. He quickly cleaned himself and returned with a damp washcloth, wiping the sweat from Lotor’s brow before removing the cum from the rest of him. 

When he was done he crawled back into bed, facing Lotor. He was so beautiful. Sendak couldn’t believe this was his soulmate. What had he done to deserve such a wonderful person? He cupped Lotor’s jaw, still unable to tear his eyes away from him. “I love you so much. I enjoyed that a lot more than I thought possible.”

Lotor chuckled lightly as he pressed himself up against Sendak, letting their bodies touch as much as possible. He nuzzled into his chest before looking up and meeting his gaze. "I love you too, more than anything." Then he reached up and caressed Sendak's face, fingertips tracing across his jaw. A grin spread across his face. "That was absolutely _perfect._ It's like you knew exactly what I wanted without me having to explain. I've never had a partner who catered to my desires quite so flawlessly before."

Sendak ran his hand over Lotor’s back, holding him close. “I’m honored. I just did what felt right and what I wanted to do. I’d never... done that before, not like that, and it felt incredibly nice.” He felt a low involuntary purr erupt from deep within himself and kissed Lotor sweetly. “You make me happier than I ever thought I could be, starlight. Thank you for sharing that part of yourself with me.”

Lotor accepted the kiss, looking touched and perhaps a little flustered as their lips parted again. "You're such a romantic," he teased lightly. "But yes, you make me happy too. I've never known such contentment before. As long as I have you..." A shadow passed across his face, and he pulled Sendak closer. "I couldn't stand ever being parted from you again," he admitted, barely speaking loud enough for Sendak to hear. He buried his face in the fur of Sendak's chest.

Sendak brought his hand to the back of Lotor’s head and ran his fingers through the fine strands, trying to reassure Lotor with his touch. His chest felt like it was caving in from Lotor’s quiet confession. “I won’t let it happen again,” he whispered. Smiling to himself he added: “If that means I’ll have to hold you close for the rest of our lives then so be it.”

Lotor was quiet in response to that, just staying pressed up against Sendak's chest. Finally, he pulled back just enough to look Sendak in the eyes and said, _"I_ won't let it happen again. I'm going to find a way out, and then we're going to hide someplace safe where no one can come between us. I'll make sure of that." His expression was deadly serious, determination and guilt and longing all in one. The arm he had draped over Sendak's side clung tightly to him and kept them close together, like Lotor was trying to keep them together by his own strength alone.

Sendak cupped Lotor’s jaw, matching his serious expression. _“We_ will make sure of that. Together. I know you’re capable and you’re used to relying on yourself, but you don’t have to. Not anymore.” He pressed a kiss to the top of Lotor’s head, unable to help himself. “We should rest, love.”

Sighing heavily, Lotor relented and started to relax. "You're right. I know. I just still feel like I should have done more to prevent this. I feel..." He didn't voice his emotions, but his guilt was clear enough on his face and through their bond.

“Hey,” Sendak whispered and tilted Lotor’s face to look him in the eye. “I know. I know it feels like we should have done things differently or made better choices but the important thing is that we’re here. Together. And as long as that’s the truth, we did the right thing.”

Lotor met his gaze. At first, he still looked conflicted, but then his expression softened. "Together," he echoed in agreement. "I love you."

Sendak stroked Lotor’s cheek. “I love you too. Never doubt that.” He guided Lotor into a gentle kiss, full of love and reassurance. They’d find a way out of this, he knew they would, but for now it was enough to have each other again.


	10. Chapter 10

Sendak woke slowly, a sense of calm surrounding him. They both hadn’t woken during the night, and despite their current predicament, he couldn't help but sigh happily at the fact that he was able to hold Lotor again without fear of a druid wrenching him from his grasp when he woke up. 

His mood soured slightly when a guard came in to bring their breakfast, ordering them to dress and waking Lotor from his slumber. Before he could say anything, however, the guard was gone. They ate breakfast quickly and were fully dressed by the time the guard returned, glowering at them. Sendak glowered back and soon they were left alone again. 

He had the final checkup with Paenor in the afternoon for the installation of a prosthetic but it wouldn't be for a few hours yet so they both sat on the bed, Lotor sitting on Sendak's lap and leaning against his chest as Sendak held his hand and absently played with his delicate fingers.

Lotor shifted, looking over his shoulder at Sendak with a hint of a mischievous smile. "Since we have a little time," he murmured, bringing his lips closer to Sendak's, "how about we—"

Four very soft knocks interrupted them, and Lotor scowled at the door and huffed. "What now?" He slid off Sendak's lap and stalked over to the door, opening it roughly. 

The person revealed on the other side squeaked and jumped back, looking at Lotor with wide purple eyes. Her blonde hair swayed almost comically as she leaned away from him. "L-Lotor! I—" 

"What. The. _Fuck,"_ Lotor growled, his voice lower and more menacing than Sendak had ever heard it, "do you think you're doing here, Romelle?" His entire body was tense, and the pure _fury_ that Sendak could feel through the bond nearly matched the level of fearful hatred Lotor had directed at the druids. 

The girl's pale skin turned nearly white, but, surprisingly, she drew herself up and faced him. "I came to talk. I know we've never seen eye-to-eye, but I'm not comfortable with leaving things between us as they are. If it's not a good time, I'll leave." 

Lotor turned to Sendak and shot him an uneasy look. Moving his hands in clear, deliberate motions, he signed, _"This was the traitor. I don't know what she wants. Let her in?"_

Sendak narrowed his eyes. He doubted that the woman at the door would cause any trouble while they were still in the House of Healing, but he didn’t like the thought of letting her in. Still, he was curious about her. After a few seconds of consideration he nodded slowly and signed back, _“Careful,”_ gesturing for Lotor to join him again.

Lotor gave Sendak a tense nod before turning his attention back to the girl. "Fine. Just to talk, and only for a little while." He stepped aside to let her in. The Altean stepped in, eyeing Sendak warily and pursuing her lips as her gaze fell on his missing arm. Lotor then stepped between them, returning to Sendak's side and positioning himself in a way that was almost shielding him. Pulling up a chair, the girl settled in facing them both. She seemed visibly uncomfortable, though that was easily explained by the deadpan glare Lotor was leveling at her. "Romelle," he said coldly, "this is my soulmate, Sendak." He gestured, as if it wasn't obvious whom he was referring to. 

"Pleasure to meet you," Romelle said quickly, though she wouldn't look Sendak in the eye or really give him any of her attention at all. She kept looking at Lotor instead.

Sendak studied the way she sat and the tension in her shoulders as well as the way she kept looking at Lotor, but he couldn’t think of a reason she would have for coming here. Was it guilt, perhaps? It seemed unlikely. He matched Lotor’s glare. “I wish I could say the same but you have neither introduced yourself nor deigned to look me in the eyes. Some might consider your actions rather cowardly.” Perhaps he was being too harsh with the girl but he found that he didn’t particularly care. She was part of the reason why he had to endure watching his _korpar_ being tortured, so he wasn’t feeling particularly generous.

Romelle pursed her lips, finally sparing a glance toward Sendak. "I'm Romelle. I help in raids, and I also work under Hira in the defense department." She didn't extend a hand, but she managed to look him in the eye and give him a small nod before returning her attention to Lotor. "Listen, Lotor, I figured..." She squirmed a little in her chair as Lotor glared at her. "I can admit that I messed up in that raid. Your plan was better." 

"The plan that you only questioned because you knew this one was a source for it," Lotor said in a matter-of-fact way, silently indicating Sendak as the information's source. "Are you actually sorry for defying me, or are you just sorry that it didn't work out?"

Romelle paled slightly. The latter seemed more likely.

Sendak glanced between them and then reached out to take Lotor’s hand, squeezing it gently in reassurance. He knew that seeing Romelle hurt Lotor more than he let on. He was likely thinking of his capture and the druids’ initial treatment. Sendak couldn’t bear the thought. He kept his eyes firmly fixed on Romelle. “Did you come here to apologize or just to make yourself feel better? My soulmate has been through quite enough due to you, as have I, so I suggest that if you have nothing of value to say, you should leave us.”

Romelle pursed her lips again, now giving Sendak a rather angry look. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing? I've come back to try to reconcile with a former teammate, but you both act like I was solely responsible for your pain! I never intended for any of this. All I did was question Lotor's plans." 

"And as a result, you forced me into a situation where I had to sacrifice myself to ensure that the rest of you could get away," Lotor growled. "If you're not willing to admit that it's _your_ fault that I was captured, leave." 

"You're such a selfish brat." Romelle stood, daintily straightening her skirt. "Accidents happen, but here you are trying to make it sound like the very universe owes you an apology for daring to mess with _you._ I'm sorry I picked the wrong time and place to question you, but you're _not_ perfect and you're _not_ above reproach. You think you're so much better than the rest of us when you're just not."

Sendak shot to his feet. He was furious. “How _dare_ you? Lotor sacrificed himself so that you could go free, a decision he paid dearly for and continues to since your council leader refuses to be sensible, and you have the audacity to come here and accuse him of _selfishness?”_ Sendak couldn’t believe it. “You are living proof of his selflessness. You made all of the mistakes and suffered none of the consequences while he gets to be locked up in his own home just because fate decided to bind him to the wrong person. And there you stand. Free. And ungrateful for it.” Sendak took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “If all you are here to do is hurl unprompted and untrue accusations at the man I love, I would kindly ask you to leave.”

Romelle looked scared of Sendak's outburst, but as soon as he calmed himself, she sneered in disgust. "You shouldn't presume to get involved in Altean affairs. You could never understand the responsibilities of a _civilized_ society."

"Get. Out." Lotor's voice shook with barely-restrained fury. 

"Talk to me when you're willing to be reasonable," Romelle quipped, turning for the door and swiftly leaving. She slammed it behind her, and the sudden noise made Lotor tense.

“Lotor,” Sendak said softly. “Lotor, love, look at me.” He tilted Lotor’s head up slowly and then stroked his hair as he pressed a kiss to his forehead. “It’s alright. We’re alright.” He guided Lotor to sit on the bed again. “Some people... you can’t change their minds. Ever. She should just be glad she’s not Galra. She would have been executed for insubordination.” _A civilized society._ Sendak didn’t even know how to react. He looked into Lotor’s eyes, dead serious. “Did they say that to you? That you came from uncivilized people?”

Lotor huffed, projecting annoyance even as something vulnerable and hurt lingered behind his eyes. "Some do. Especially among the younger ones, the ones too young to remember the Galra before the war. They think of them as nothing but barbaric and cruel. But there are also plenty of Alteans who remember life before the war and remember the Galra at their best, and most of them don't hold my race against me. That's why I usually got along better with Alteans who were significantly older than me, aside from Merla and Luka, of course." He leaned into Sendak, accepting his touch. Tension persisted in every line of his body, but it slowly drained out of him as he relaxed against his soulmate.

Sendak sat down beside him and wrapped his arm around Lotor’s shoulders in the closed gesture to a hug he could make right now and kissed the side of his face. “I was very young when the war started and my parents were killed, but I remember some things from before. We are very passionate people. We always have been. We loved stories and music, most of us still do despite the fact that the military has tried to eradicate it. I fear that the emperor will succeed in the future and the last of our culture will be lost and there will be only war. But the Galra are stubborn, even against their emperor.” He looked at Lotor again and smiled sadly. “Have you ever heard a Galra legend?”

Lotor looked somewhat awed as he listened to what Sendak was saying. "You remember? You're a little bit older than me, then." He started to relax, and he mirrored Sendak's sad smile. "I've heard a couple from drunken pirates in dark corners of bars outside the reach of the empire. I've always wanted to hear more, though."

Sendak smiled and began playing with Lotor’s hair as he told an ancient legend of two warring clans whose patron gods were using them to spite each other. He wasn’t entirely confident in his storytelling abilities, but Lotor seemed to enjoy his tale of the two lovers who braved death and war to be together despite their people’s differences and went on to have a child together. “They named her _Marmora._ It’s a very ancient legend and nobody is quite sure what that means anymore, but most think it means _peace_ or _victory._ She went on to kill the gods and unite the clans. She was the first to do so, claiming we were stronger together.” Sendak smiled, truly this time. “She was my favorite mythical hero when I was a child.”

"That's a beautiful story," Lotor said softly. "I like that idea, stronger together." He reached up and held Sendak's hand where it draped around his shoulder. "Just like us." He stared off into the distance, idly running his thumb over the back of Sendak's hand as he thought. "It reminds me of a similar Altean myth, though there was certainly no _killing the gods_ in any Altean stories." 

He went on to recount the story of two soulmates forbidden to be together who ran off to find freedom together. When they eventually returned, they ended the reigns of the two kings who had forbidden their union, and they established the universal law for all Alteans everywhere that no soulmate pair should ever be forced to separate. "That tale is sacred for Alteans," Lotor explained. "I suspect it's the only thing preventing Hira from separating us."

Sendak kissed the side of Lotor’s face. “I’m glad. I never want to be separated from you again.” He turned Lotor’s face and kissed him gently on the lips. “I loved your story. Do you want to continue from where we left off?” He pulled back a little to see Lotor’s face. “Or do you want to do something else?”

Lotor hummed, leaning eagerly into the kiss. "I just want to be with you. That's all that matters to me right now." He leaned in to steal another kiss.

* * *

The day of the procedure to install the port for the prosthetic came. Like with the amputation procedure, they brought Sendak into an operation room, and Luka used alchemy to put him to sleep while Lotor stood at his side. When Sendak awoke, he could quickly tell he was back in the room he'd been sharing with Lotor. He'd hardly started to stir before Lotor's voice came to him, quiet but cheerful. "Hey there. Take it easy. We had you under for a long time, getting that prosthetic socket properly attached. How are you feeling?"

Sendak blinked. His mouth was dry and he had a mild headache, but other than that he couldn’t feel much except for a dull numbness in his left shoulder. He located Lotor from the sound of his voice and waited for his eyes to adjust. “I’m fine... I think.” His head was still a bit jumbled but he reached out for Lotor, trying to get him closer. “A little dizzy.”

Lotor chuckled softly as he leaned over, gently stroking Sendak's face. "That's normal. Just give yourself some time to adjust, and then we can get you up on the bed proper, alright?" He ran his fingers down Sendak's neck, then trailed them across his chest, careful to avoid touching any part of his left shoulder. "The socket shouldn't have much sensation on its own, but there are some artificial nerves around where it attaches to the skin, so those will probably tingle and feel strange as they come online. Once you've adjusted to the socket itself, we can try attaching the arm."

Sendak hummed and leaned into Lotor’s touch, closing his eyes and waiting for his head to clear. Once he was certain he’d be able to sit up, he opened his eyes. Lotor helped him over to his bed and he sank into the cushions. “How long was I out?” His voice was still rough and he cleared his throat.

"About four vargas," Lotor answered, handing Sendak a glass of water. "It took a long time to ensure that all of the connections were correct. Galra nervous systems aren't quite the same as Altean ones."

Sendak took a sip and felt his throat clear. “Thank you,” he said and smiled at Lotor. He looked over to his left side. Where there had previously been nothing at all, there was a metal socket embedded into his shoulder, perfectly fused with his skin. Paenor had done a fantastic job, it seemed. “Is it safe to touch?” he asked Lotor.

Lotor nodded. "It might feel strange or even a little overwhelming as the artificial nerves come online, but it's safe. All the flesh has been healed. There shouldn't be any risk of infection or the like."

Sendak carefully ran a finger over the smooth metal and immediately pulled back. It wasn’t painful, per se, it wasn’t even really unpleasant, just strange. He _felt_ something. His eyes widened and he looked at Lotor in awe. “It works,” he said and smiled. He reached out for Lotor’s hand. “Can you help me?”

Lotor gave him a bemused look. "I'm glad it's working. Help you with what, exactly?" He placed his hand in Sendak's, watching him closely and curiously.

Sendak guided Lotor’s hand over to the stump. “I don’t know how it works and you do. Help me see if it’s functioning properly, besides, it’s a bit uncomfortable to touch. I assume it’s because the nerves are very delicate and your hands are smaller.” He pressed a kiss to Lotor’s knuckles.

Lotor gave him an uneven smile. "It'll just take time for you to adjust. I don't think having me touch it instead of you will make much of a difference. But if you really want me to try..." He reached out and gently stroked part of the metal, just barely skimming his fingertips over it. "Do you feel that?"

He did. It was a much more pleasant sensation with Lotor being so delicate. He knew, theoretically, that he'd have sensory feedback with his new arm, or at least that it was an option, but a part of him hadn’t truly thought it was possible. Now, with Lotor’s gentle touch registering, he still couldn’t quite believe it. “Do you think it’s ready for the arm? I want to hold you again, starlight.”

Lotor's lips pursed in concern as he examined the socket closely. "I don't want to overwhelm you, but if you really don't want to wait, we can try it now. I might be able to adjust the settings to lower the sensory input at first too." With that, he got up and crossed the room, returning with a large prosthetic arm. He lined it up with the socket, ready to click it into place. He met Sendak's gaze and gently asked, "Are you sure?"

Sendak took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure this wouldn’t overwhelm him but the truth was that he hated how vulnerable he felt without his arm. He didn’t care if it hurt, he just couldn’t bear to keep feeling this way. “I’m sure,” he said and looked Lotor in the eyes, trying to convey his range of emotions.

Lotor nodded and set to work hooking up the prosthetic. It slotted into place easily, and Sendak felt nothing more than a small _thunk_ as it fell into position. Then, Lotor opened the control panel in the upper arm portion, and he selected the option to activate the device.

It was like all his nerve endings were on high alert, as if the slightest brush of air would set them alight, but... he could _feel_ something. He tried to move his arm and succeeded in making a fist. He realized he could feel the metal fingers against the palm of his new hand. Sendak looked at Lotor wide-eyed. “Can you give me your hand?” He was still nervous about hurting Lotor with a prosthetic, but the amount of sensation he had eased his worries a lot.

"Take it easy," Lotor warned gently, but he reached out regardless. He first skimmed his fingertips over Sendak's arm, running them down the metal until he reached his hand. Then, he slowly pressed his palm to Sendak's, showing how much smaller his own hand was than the prosthetic, which had been made to mirror the other, natural arm perfectly. "How does that feel?" Lotor asked gently.

There was still a faint tingling surrounding the place where Lotor’s fingertips met Sendak’s arm but it soon mellowed out into a more present touch. He could feel the warmth of Lotor’s fingertips ghosting across the metal and nearly gasped. Once Lotor’s hand was in his palm he placed his natural hand over it, holding it between them. “It feels _real_.”

A delighted and relieved smile appeared on Lotor's face, and he brought his other hand up to the back of Sendak's prosthetic to hold it, in turn, between both of his hands. "I'm so glad it works. I was afraid I'd never be able to give back what you lost on my account." Moving closer, Lotor straddled Sendak's hips and settled into his lap, still smiling warmly as he held the prosthetic hand. "Now you can hold me again like you wanted to." He gently pulled back his hands and rested them on Sendak's shoulders.

Sendak looked at him with complete love in his eyes and smiled. He brought his hands to Lotor’s back, embracing him fully and nuzzling Lotor’s neck. A small sob escaped him and he held on tighter. “I love you so much, starlight. Please don’t blame yourself for what happened.”

"Oh, love..." Lotor wrapped his arms fully around the back of Sendak's neck, embracing him completely. "I know it's not my fault. We both made our choices, trying to find the best way to be together under the circumstances, and it was little more than terrible luck that caused us to fail. That just... it doesn't mean it's not my responsibility to fix it. Do you know what I mean?" He pulled back just enough to look Sendak in the eyes. "When they were hurting us and draining my energy, you did everything you could to help me. It wasn't your fault that they were doing that to me, but you still felt responsible to help me, didn't you? I could feel your concern and protectiveness the entire time." He brought one hand to the prosthetic shoulder, running his thumb over the smooth metal there. "I feel the same way about this. As your soulmate, it's my job to help you and heal you if I can."

Sendak looked at him, refusing to let go so soon. “I know. I understand, I just... I don’t want you to worry. And I know it’s stupid because I’m sure you don’t want me to worry either and I can’t help it.” He ran the fingers of his prosthetic through Lotor’s hair and smiled at the way the silky strands felt. “If it helps: I’m not fully healed yet but _this_ is something I never thought I’d get to do again and it feels wonderful.”

Lotor smiled and settled back into Sendak's embrace, leaning forward against his chest and relaxing there. "I'm glad you're so pleased with it. While I _can_ look out for us both, I must admit, I feel safer knowing that you can protect yourself and me if something goes wrong." Yet again, he ran his hand over the prosthetic, seeming nearly as enamored with the novelty of it as Sendak was. "I'll feel even better when I can replace this with something better," he murmured quietly. "Once I get you one with some weapons capabilities... well, I'm sure we'll both sleep easier when our lives are in _our_ hands and no one else's, and it'll be good to know that at least one of your hands is capable of protecting us both even if we don't have a weapon nearby."

Sendak’s smile widened and he kissed the top of Lotor’s head. “Always a plan. You’re incredible.” He ran his hands over Lotor’s back and sides in soothing motions. “I’m glad about it too. I know I have other capabilities and I have no doubt that you would still want to be with me regardless, as I would with you, but it feels good to have the ability to defend myself back. I feel useless if I can’t do that and I know you don’t need it but... I want to protect you.” He hadn’t realized how nervous he’d been that he’d never be able to protect anyone again but it all came crashing down on him as he held Lotor close. “I’m sorry. I know it’s stupid.”

"It's not stupid," Lotor said firmly. "You've been a soldier all your life. Of course you put a lot of importance on your ability to fight." He held Sendak and stroked his back soothingly. "I imagine it would be as if I lost the dexterity in my fingers and couldn't build things anymore. I would feel useless, even if I could still pilot and fight and do everything else I normally do." He continued to stroke gently in calming motions. "Love, I'm glad you want to protect me. All my life, I've been used to being the one out in front or on my own, having to scout out my own path and often having to watch my own back. It's difficult to express how much it means to me that you want to look out for me now."

Sendak buried his face against Lotor’s neck and exhaled. “You always know what to say. I’m glad. I want to protect you. I know you can handle yourself but I was... I was terrified that I’d never be able to do the one thing I thought I was good at again and—“ He exhaled sharply. “I’m just glad it’s not like that.” His arms drew back from Lotor’s back and he cupped his face gently. “Thank you, love.”

Lotor smiled warmly. "Of course. I'll always be here for you." His eyes strayed toward the door, then fell on Sendak's new arm again, and his expression grew serious. "We can leave anytime now. I just have to figure out how. I've been pondering it this whole time, of course, but I was vaguely hoping that some opportunity would come up in the meantime that I hadn't accounted for. Now... there's no point in waiting. I'll have to find a way to make do with what we have."

Sendak looked at him seriously and nodded. “Is there anything I can do to help?” He wasn’t even sure if they allowed Lotor to leave here without an armed guard but maybe they could find someone to help them. If they could only get a message out to Faela... but they didn’t want to involve Luka in their schemes. Unless... “Do you think Merla might help us?”

Lotor pursed his lips. "Merla would never _hurt_ our efforts, but she would be taking a very big risk in helping us with no guarantee of her own safety afterwards. Hira is her direct boss, after all. It might be difficult for Merla to hide the evidence from her." He looked uncertain and vaguely uncomfortable. "Maybe she could carry a message, but I'm not sure what Faela could do directly without risking her seat on the council..."

Sendak kissed the side of Lotor’s face. “Lotor, Faela loves you like a mother and I know it hurts her deeply to see you locked up like this. She might not be able to do much, but she would look the other way for us. Maybe she’ll even give us the access codes for your ship. And Merla... I don’t know, maybe she’d let us go if she were on guard at the time.”

"I'm sure either of them would look the other way for us," Lotor agreed. "Faela will do anything that can't be traced back to her, but, frankly, I fear that Hira is probably watching her very closely. Hira would have to be very careless to not expect Faela to help us."

A look of weariness filled Lotor's face, and he sagged against Sendak. "We'll have to involve Luka, I'm afraid. Perhaps she could convince Tavo to help again..."

Sendak contemplated it. “Is it Luka’s turn to bring the lowly prisoners our meals? If so... we could just ask her. If she convinced Tavo to help her before she might be able to do it again, but she also might be able to convince Merla.” Sendak smiled to himself. He liked Merla, she reminded him of Lotor a lot. If there was anyone who could convince either of them to do something, it was Luka.

"Probably not tonight." Lotor looked both thoughtful and vaguely displeased. "I'm sure she's exhausted after keeping the sleep spell on you for so long, so I'm sure Paeanor sent her home to rest. Someone else will bring our dinner, and while I wish I could say who, it could be any of the guards or medical assistants." His expression then softened a little. "Well, one night will hardly make a difference. She should be back tomorrow, and we can talk to her then. Even if we don't have a plan yet, she could give us information about how everyone feels and who might be more likely to help."

Sendak nodded. “Alright, sounds like a plan. I’m rather tired anyway.” He touched the metal arm with his other hand. “Do I... take this off at night or does it stay on?” He really did have no idea but he also wasn’t opposed to the idea of feeling Lotor’s delicate hands on his arm and listening to him as he explained how it worked.

Lotor smiled, looking a little relieved for the break from planning. "You could leave it on. I doubt you could do anything to damage it by accident, and this one has no dangerous features that you could activate in your sleep. When I make you the weaponized one, I'll include an off switch for sleeping if you really want to keep it on at night." He gently touched the place where the arm attached into the socket, examining it, and then his fingers moved carefully over to the skin nearby where the metal attached, prodding it very lightly. "Most amputees find it more comfortable to sleep without. Your socket could get sensitive from the constant weight, even with the prosthetic being as light as it is, so it might feel good to take a break from it. I'd certainly recommend leaving it off at night for the next few days while you heal and adjust, though it thankfully seems like you have no swelling or inflammation so far. Really, it just depends on your comfort. Unless your skin here does start swelling up, there's nothing preventing you from sleeping with the full prosthetic if you want to."

After a while with no arm at all, the weight of the prosthetic was beginning to tax him slightly. He wanted to leave it on but he knew, intellectually, that they were safe here, so it was better to heal as much as possible while they still had some semblance of security. Just in case. He kissed Lotor’s forehead. “I think it’s better to leave it off for the first night. How do I do that? I’m able to do it with one hand, I hope?”

Lotor nodded and guided Sendak's natural hand over to the socket. "You can use the control panel to tell the prosthetic to detach itself, but if that malfunctions for any reason, you also need to know how to do it manually." He demonstrated a couple of times, activating a little switch to detach the arm before popping it back into place. Then, he withdrew his hands and motioned for Sendak to try it.

It was a little difficult to find the switch at first but once he did it was easy. The prosthetic fell straight into his hand and he set it on the bed, smiling. “That was a lot more simple than I thought it would be.” He cupped Lotor’s jaw and stroked his cheek. “I think the day is catching up to me. I’m exhausted. Feel free to stay up, love, you don’t seem tired yet, but I think I’ll lie down.”

Lotor's eyebrows drew together in an expression of mild concern, but he nodded. "It's still very early, but I suppose you do need more rest to recover after such a major procedure. Dinner should come in a varga or so. Do you want me to wake you up for it or let you sleep?"

Sendak smiled. “Wake me. I’m still rather hungry, but I feel like I need some rest right now. Thank you, love.” He settled down against the pillows and reached out to pull the sheets over himself but it wasn’t easy with only one arm.

Lotor noticed and grabbed the sheets, pulling them up and smoothing them over Sendak. He then gave him a light kiss. "Rest well, love. I'll watch for dinner." He lightly stroked the crest of longer fur across the top of Sendak's head. In a softer voice, he added, "I'll watch over you."

Sendak hummed and closed his eyes. “My wonderful soulmate. So protective of me. I love you,” he murmured and drifted off instantly.

* * *

Long after dinner, when the two of them were settled in and about to fall asleep (again, in Sendak's case), the door suddenly opened. Lotor sat up immediately, tense and alert, but then he froze and his eyes widened. "Merla? What are you doing here so late?"

"I'm breaking you out, dumbass." She smirked at him, then gave Sendak a warmer smile. "And before you ask what I'm getting out of it, just consider how humiliating it'll be for Hira when everyone finds out you vanished right from under her nose. That's motivation enough for me. Besides," she lightly punched Lotor's arm, "I think I owe you a couple of favors. This should make us even."

Sendak returned Merla’s smile. She was full of surprises, apparently. He turned to Lotor. “My love, you have a fantastic taste in romantic partners,” he teased and got up from the bed, holding out his hand for Lotor to take. He was still tired, but his earlier nap had definitely helped.

Lotor laughed incredulously. He looked a little flustered at Sendak's teasing, but he accepted his help getting up. "I can't say I expected this," he said to Merla, "but I'm glad you came. Why now? Why tonight?”

“I wanted to wait until he had his arm, for one thing.” Merla gestured to Sendak’s prosthetic. “But also…” Her expression turned serious and perhaps worried. “I discovered some files in Hira’s system that I was not supposed to see. She’s making plans for how to contain you both. She wants to keep you pacified and obedient and—” Merla cut herself off and looked like she might be sick.

“I see.” Lotor nodded. “I expected she might try to do something, but that’s beyond what even I thought she was capable of.”

Sendak wasn’t sure what they meant but by the sound of it it was something horrible. Perhaps he’d ask Lotor about it later. Right now they needed to move. “Thank you,” he said to Merla, looking into her eyes and trying to convey how grateful he felt. She was putting herself at risk for them and he would never forget that. 

Merla met his eyes and gave him a small but sincere smile. “It’s the least I can do. I want you both to get out of here and as far away from Hira as possible.”

“Right.” Lotor had determination in his eyes as he straightened and looked like he was preparing for a mission. He had the same intense focus now as he’d had when breaking Sendak out of the lab. “What do we need to do?”

“The plan is simple enough.” Merla looked to Sendak. "Put on your arm, and then we can slip out. Tavo is watching the door, so he'll let us know if we're clear. Then we can head for the hangar. Faela gave me the access codes."

Sendak didn’t hesitate to take his new prosthetic and connect it. He fumbled slightly, having done this about three times in total, but he managed to pop the prosthetic into place. Then he cupped Lotor’s jaw and gave him a tender kiss. “For luck,” he whispered and turned to Merla, nodding once.

Merla glanced at Lotor, but once he’d nodded as well, she turned to the door. She knocked three times, and immediately there was a double knock in return. The door opened to reveal Tavo silently motioning them through. Merla gave him a quick nod as she slipped past and led the way down the hall. Lotor motioned for Sendak to go ahead, stepping in behind him to take up the rear as they made their escape.

Years of military training came flooding back in the span of a few seconds. Sendak fell a step behind Merla as she led them through the corridors. They encountered no one, and soon they snuck out into the cool night air. Sendak took a deep breath. He hadn’t truly been outside in such a long time. But now was not the time. He looked at Merla and waited for further instructions.

Merla silently led them to the hangar and slipped inside. There was a guard there whose eyes widened upon seeing them, but then they nodded, and Merla nodded back and continued to lead Sendak and Lotor along. Lotor stayed very close to Sendak, like a shadow on his heels. He moved silently and fluidly, and he likely would have spooked Sendak except for the constant bond making him aware of exactly where Lotor was.

As they reached the room with the ships, however, an unfamiliar guard appeared. "Merla? What—" Their eyes fell on Sendak and Lotor, and they touched a device on their belt just before Merla zapped them with some kind of stun gun that left them unconscious. Merla swore furiously and turned back to the couple. "Hira must have suspected something and assigned extra guards. You need to go _right_ _now."_

Sendak swore, looking around at the ships. They were unfamiliar to him but he knew Lotor would know which one would be best. “Thank you,” he said to Merla. “For everything.” He turned to Lotor. “Do you know which ship you want?” There was a large open space between them and the ships and it wouldn’t do them good to expose themselves without a clear target.

Lotor's eyes skimmed over the ships before settling on a small and fast-looking one, and he pointed at it. "That one." He then turned to Merla. "Go. Don't let them see you. We'll be alright." 

"Don't be ridiculous." She pulled a blaster off her belt and set it to nonlethal mode, then tossed it to Lotor. She aimed a second one down the corridor. "Go." 

Lotor caught the blaster and then hesitated, looking like he wanted to argue. Just then, however, someone appeared at the opposite end of the corridor, and Lotor turned and ran towards the ship.

Sendak took off after him as shouts of alarm came out of the corridor, followed by shots aimed in their direction. They were almost at the ship, the shots getting louder, closer. Lotor reached the ship before he did and Sendak looked back at the assailants only to see one opening fire at Lotor’s back. He didn’t think, he just reacted, placing himself in front of Lotor, intending to deflect the shots with his prosthetic. He managed to catch the first three with his forearm, one of which would have hit Lotor in the back. He was about to ask him if he‘d be able to unlock it when something hit the side of his face and he cried out, blinding pain shooting through his skull.

Lotor's arms steadied Sendak and held him upright. More shots were exchanged, and Lotor and Merla yelled a few words at each other that Sendak couldn't make sense of past the pain. Then Lotor pulled Sendak into the ship and practically tossed him to the floor with the order: "Stay down!!" as he continued to fire until the door closed. Then he ran past Sendak towards the cockpit area, and the ship's engines hummed to life.

Sendak couldn’t think past the burning pain. All he knew was that Lotor was flying them out. Everything would be alright now. The ship’s engine was a pleasant sound, steady under him. He must’ve passed out for a few doboshes, because when he woke up again, the engine’s sound was different. He tried to sit up but his muscles were weak, shaking too much to be able to move effectively.

Lotor looked over his shoulder from the pilot seat. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." His voice was strained with distress. "I'll try to heal you as soon as we're clear." He flew the ship toward one of the other stars in the safe pocket and stopped on the other side of that star, using it as a sort of hiding place. Then he got up and knelt beside Sendak, pressing one glowing hand to the side of his face. "If it was just a stun shot, I should be able to heal your eye completely. If it wasn't..."

His pain eased immediately with Lotor’s soothing touch and he leaned into it. The vision of his injured eye, however, did not return. He reached out and touched Lotor, his mind still hazy but now almost free of pain. “It’s alright,” he whispered. “We’re alright.”

Lotor's eyes shone with unshed tears as he continued to try to heal Sendak. His voice, however, hovered somewhere between despair and wrath. "There's too much. The injury runs too deep. This wasn't a full-power shot, but it wasn't on nonlethal mode either." He was still trying to heal, but it was clear from Lotor's expression that he wasn't making much progress.

Sendak had thought as much. It hadn’t felt like a stun shot when it hit him. He placed his hand over Lotor’s and looked up at him. “I’ll be fine,” he said, his voice weak but determined. “We’re together. Safe. That’s all that matters.” He gave Lotor a weak smile. “I love you.”

The tears started to fall from Lotor's eyes, and his chest shook with silent sobs. "It's not fair," he whispered. "You've already lost your arm, and now this too? I should have stopped this somehow."

Sendak shook his head slightly. “The shot... it would have hit you in the back. I’d rather lose my arm and eye hundreds of times than consider losing you. I chose to protect you. I will always choose to protect you, Lotor, because I love you.” He rubbed his cheek against Lotor’s hand, still glowing faintly. “It’s not your fault.”

"It... it wouldn't have killed me, most likely," Lotor said softly, though he sounded uncertain about that. "But it would have certainly knocked me unconscious, and you couldn't get us through the Quantum Abyss..." He sighed, but then he let out a few more shaky sobs. "You did what you needed to, but I—" He shook his head. "I just wish it hadn't come to that. I wish I hadn't been forced to bring you here. I wish I'd never been caught in the first place..." He broke down completely, burying his face into Sendak's chest and yet somehow keeping up the healing glow of his hand on Sendak's injured eye.

Sendak brought his hand to the back of Lotor’s head and blinked back tears of his own as he held him close. “I wish you had never suffered at the hands of the druids. I wish we hadn’t been born on two different sides of the war. I wish there wasn’t even a war to start with.” A tear streaked down his face. “This universe is broken and twisted and tragic. But I have you, starlight. Somehow the universe led us together and that’s enough for me. I would do it all over again to be able to be with you.”

Lotor nodded a little against Sendak's chest, but he seemed too overwhelmed by his tears to answer. He continued to cry for a few more moments. Then, he pulled away and wiped his tears before looking at Sendak with determination. "We need to get out of here. They might chase us, but I doubt they'd go through the Abyss. We'll be safe on the other side, and we'll certainly be safe by the time we get back to the base." He looked around the ship, then gestured to the passenger benches. "Do you want to rest up there? I can help you get up onto them."

Sendak nodded and accepted Lotor’s help. Soon he was sitting on a passenger bench, reclining against the wall behind him. He cupped Lotor’s face and tugged him down for a kiss. “I love you,” he whispered and let his head rest on the wall behind him, feeling suddenly exhausted.

"I love you too. Please, just sleep. It's going to be a long ride back to the base." Lotor kissed his forehead, then went back to the pilot seat. The engines hummed a little louder as the ship took off into the storm of the Quantum Abyss.

Sendak leaned back and soon he was drifting off to sleep, the side of his face still throbbing slightly with phantom pain but the promise of a future with Lotor leaving him feeling pleasantly warm despite everything.

* * *

By the time they finally arrived back at the base, Sendak had rested and taken painkillers, and they'd both eaten some rations. Then they'd arranged themselves with Sendak in the pilot chair and Lotor on his lap again, and they stayed like that as they made their approach. 

Lotor opened a comm line to the base. Instead of Kolivan, however, a woman's face appeared on the video feed. Lotor tensed and asked, "Who are you?"

The woman frowned at them but her calculating expression did not change. She studied them both closely. “Identify yourselves,” she said. She seemed to type something into her communication device but it was difficult to tell. Sendak shared a look with Lotor. As he understood it, it would have been impossible for her to get onto the base without Kolivan’s permission.

"Computer," Lotor said carefully and deliberately, "access code lambda-0-7-omicron-rho. Identify all base occupants."

A file appeared onscreen with three names and images: Kolivan, Antok, and Krolia. The image next to the last name matched with the woman onscreen, and the file indicated that she and Antok had been granted standard systems access by Kolivan. Some of the tension left his body. Lotor looked at Krolia again. "I am Lotor, and this is Sendak. We are requesting an approach path and clearance to dock." His tone of voice made it clear that it was really not a 'request' at all.

The woman’s frown eased into something like shock and awe at Lotor’s actions. She looked at her communication device and immediately back at them, nodding once. “You are clear for docking, transferring the path now.” She hit a button and they received the current safe path from the computer. “Kolivan will be with you shortly,” she said and her screen went dark.

Lotor took a deep breath and sat back, leaning into Sendak as he started to ease the ship along the provided path. "Well then. I admit I wasn't expecting that."

Sendak rested his head on Lotor’s shoulder and looked out at the approaching base. “Looks like Kolivan recruited some friends,” he said. “I bet he wasn’t expecting us either. How long has it been since we left?”

"Hmm..." Lotor checked the systems. "It's always a little unpredictable with passage through the Quantum Abyss. Our experience of time was different from his. Looking at the time stamp on the computer file, it seems that for Kolivan, it's been about four weeks."

“Maybe he thought we weren’t coming back at all. There are plenty of things that could’ve happened to us.” He hugged Lotor closer, needing his presence right now. He didn’t want to consider what might’ve happened if the empire had intercepted them. He watched Lotor steer the ship into the hangar, noticing a few more ships than the last time they’d been here.

Lotor landed the ship and shut it down, then turned sideways in Sendak's lap and looked at his injured eye again. "We should get you to the medical bay to get a better look at that," he said softly. "There may still be a chance to heal it."

Sendak looked at him for a while before averting his gaze and nodding. Lotor was right, of course, but he had a feeling that if his soulmate’s healing energy couldn’t help, then likely nothing would. “Let’s go greet Kolivan first and then we can go.”

Lotor helped Sendak to stand up, and they walked out together, with Sendak's arm around Lotor's shoulders and Lotor's around his waist. They stepped out to find a very large Galra who matched the image for Antok standing outside the ship. Lotor took in a breath to say something, but then Kolivan appeared. 

"Sendak, Lotor." Kolivan looked sincerely relieved. "I'm pleased to see you alive." 

"As are we." Lotor guided Sendak forwards toward the door Kolivan had just come through.

Sendak leaned heavily on Lotor, realizing he was more exhausted than he’d thought. He nodded at Kolivan, smiling weakly. He would never forget what Kolivan had done for him. He seemed a bit unsettled by Sendak’s state but other than that simply returned the nod. 

Kolivan approached Sendak’s other side, aiding Lotor in helping him stand. “What happened?” he asked once he’d gotten a decent grip. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Sendak said before Lotor could shoulder the blame for something that wasn’t his fault. “There were difficulties leaving but we’re here now. Alive.” He held tighter onto Lotor. “That’s all that matters.”

Lotor lightly squeezed Sendak back. "We need to go to the medical bay. One of the guards shot him in the eye, and while I tried to heal it with my limited abilities, my power just isn't enough." Kolivan nodded and matched his steps to Lotor's. Soon enough, they reached the medical bay, and Lotor started to steer them all toward one of the tables when he froze. These looked a lot like the ones in the House of Healing in the haven, but they were still medical tables, and the colder and more sterile-looking setting only added to the fear both soulmates felt.

Sendak hesitated. He could go the rest of his life without touching another examination table again and it would be too soon, but he didn’t have much of a choice. Lotor was right, they had to see if anything could be done. He slowly sat down on the examination table with Lotor and Kolivan’s help. He knew, intellectually, that he was safe but that didn’t stop his muscles from tensing as he sat down.

"I'm sorry," Lotor said softly. "I'll try to make this quick." It took a tense few moments for Lotor, with some assistance from Kolivan, to use the devices available in the room to examine Sendak's injured eye. When he was done, disappointment and grief were plain on his face and through their bond. He shook his head. "If I'd taken you right back to the House of Healing, it _might_ have been possible to save your eye, but even that is uncertain. The damage runs too deep for anything I'm capable of even with the assistance of the equipment here, and at this point, it's far too late even if I did take you somewhere else."

Sendak had suspected as much. Somehow this didn’t bother him as much as the loss of his arm had. He could still fight with one eye, as well as anything else he usually did. Perhaps he was simply desensitized after everything that had happened since Lotor had gotten captured. His eye was a small price to pay for their freedom.

Sendak cupped Lotor’s jaw and guided him to rest their foreheads together. _“Devoti,”_ he whispered, the word almost like a prayer on his lips. “I feel your grief. Please don’t blame yourself for this.” He kissed him chastely, just to remind him they were here. Together. “We made it. The only difference is that it looks like you’ll have to make two prosthetics, love.” He smiled at Lotor sheepishly. He hoped he could lighten Lotor’s mood somewhat.

Lotor's expression didn't lighten up. "I-I can't. I can't do the surgical installation." 

"We can find a doctor," Kolivan suggested. "I fully intend to recruit more Galra willing to rebel against the empire. I may be able to recruit a doctor among them."

Sendak smiled at Lotor, letting a glint of mischief into his expression. “Do you think I would look handsome with an eyepatch?” he asked. “For now, at least.” He was determined to at least bring a hint of that beautiful smile to Lotor’s features.

Lotor's expression softened, and he huffed a breath that suspiciously sounded like a bit of a laugh. The feeling of grief lightened somewhat. "Yes, darling." He stroked the side of Sendak's face, careful to not bring his fingertips too close to the injury. "I do think you'll look very handsome indeed with an eyepatch."

Sendak’s smile widened and he leaned into Lotor’s touch. “I seem to have heard that soulmates recover more quickly if they can share energy. It is only wise for us to spend time together to recover.” Despite his teasing tone he knew Lotor would understand that he didn’t want to spend more time than necessary in the med bay, especially not without him. “Do you have a room on the base?” he asked. There hadn’t exactly been time for a tour the last time they’d been here.

"Yes. I'll bring you there." Lotor had a little bit of a smile now as he helped Sendak up, and Kolivan came over to assist and help him onto his feet.

Kolivan looked Sendak up and down. "Do you want my help getting there?"

Sendak smiled at him. “I think that would be good, yes. I can stand on my own for a short while but I’m noticing that I’m more exhausted than I realized.” He paused, looking fully at Kolivan. “Thank you.” It was clear that he wasn’t just talking about the assistance standing.

Kolivan didn't reply at first as he wrapped an arm around Sendak's back and draped Sendak's arm over his own shoulders. He was able to take quite a lot of Sendak's weight, and Lotor's assistance from the other side helped to stabilize Sendak further. As they headed in the direction Lotor indicted, Kolivan finally replied, "I'll accept your thanks, but I also owe you thanks. Without you, without your bravery and determination to rebel, who knows how long it would've taken me to break away from the empire? Who knows if I ever would've had the courage? But thanks to you, I've not only gotten myself out, but also two of my friends, and the three of us have been talking over the past couple of weeks about what more we could do to rebel in meaningful ways against Zarkon's regime."

Sendak contemplated his words. The truth was that he was much too exhausted right now to contemplate another conflict. Right now he just wanted to lay down, preferably with Lotor in his arms, but he knew that he would get restless soon enough. He nodded. “I would enjoy joining these conversations when I’ve recovered. It’s our duty to do _something_. The universe has suffered enough and our people have suffered enough.” He looked over at Lotor. “All our people.”

Lotor nodded, though his mouth was set in a grim line. "We'll have to go on raids for supplies anyways, just like I had to with the Alteans when we all lived here." There was a hard edge to his voice. It seemed that he didn't much like the idea of raids anymore, but he sounded determined regardless. "If we happen to be crippling the empire while we're at it, so much the better." 

"That's essentially what Krolia said, and I agree," Kolivan affirmed. "We'll need better strength of numbers before we could consider anything drastic, but even simply showing that there are Galra who are rebelling could make a small difference. At the moment, the only Galra outside the empire are pirates, considered dishonorable and cowardly. A display of fighting back could spark more rebellion within the ranks."

Sendak nodded in agreement. “I’m sure we could find more people that are unhappy with the empire to join us.” He looked over at Lotor, feeling his dislike at the idea of raids. “But not now,” he said quietly. “We need some time to rest. _Both_ of us.” He knew that Lotor would deny it, but he knew he hadn’t rested well since their council hearing. He needed some time, despite the fact that he probably wanted to seem untouchable. Sendak just wanted to hold him at this point, they’d figure everything else out later.

Lotor met his gaze and then looked away, but he didn't argue. "I need time to build a new prosthetic arm out of the luxite as I promised. That will take a while." 

"Antok may be able to help with that," Kolivan offered. "He used to work with luxite." 

"That would be helpful." Lotor nodded, then he led them all into a modest room with some small belongings on the shelves. He and Kolivan brought Sendak over to the moderately-sized bed and helped him sit down.

Once he was seated, he thanked Kolivan again for his help before he exited the room and left them alone, truly alone without someone lurking beyond their door to make sure they didn’t escape. Sendak opened his arms in a silent request for Lotor to come to him. He wanted to hold him now that everything was over, to make sure that he was real and here and his, just as much as he was Lotor’s.

Lotor slipped into his lap facing him and wrapped his arms around him in the same way he had when they were trapped in the druids' cell, seeking comfort together. He pressed himself up against Sendak completely, leaving no room between them, just like he had then. The difference was that now, their embrace lacked the desperation it had then or the caution it had when they were in the Altean haven. Now there was the kind of absolute exhaustion that came with finally, _finally_ relaxing for the first time in far too long. He drew a long, deep breath in, then let it out slowly, turning to putty in Sendak's arms. "I think," he said slowly, "this is the first time I've actually relaxed since the day I met you."

Sendak released a surprised breath of laughter and wrapped his arms tightly around Lotor, trying to eliminate even the smallest space between them. He kissed the top of Lotor’s head before burying his face in the crook of his neck and taking a deep breath of his lovely scent as he ran his hands over Lotor’s back. A deep rumbling purr escaped his throat and he made no effort to conceal it. They were alone now, finally, and Lotor deserved to know how much he loved him, how happy he was with him. “It feels like we met lifetimes ago, like I understand you better than I do myself.” He held him tighter. “I’m so happy we found each other, despite everything. I love you so much.”

There was a rush of warm happiness and contentment through the bond, and Lotor nuzzled Sendak's neck. "We've had a lot of time to get to know each other," he noted mildly. "But now that we're finally safe and together and free, we can spend even more time together without any of the fear we had before." He breathed deeply again, clearly inhaling Sendak's scent. "If I was given the choice to go back and undo everything that happened, but the cost was that I would never get the chance to be with you, I wouldn't take it. You're worth more than all of the pain and everything I've given up." He pulled back only enough to bring both of his hands to Sendak's head, cradling his face as he looked into his eye. "I love you too. I love you more than anything."

A tear rolled down Sendak’s cheek and he smiled. “I wouldn’t give what we have up for anything either. We’re safe now,” he said quietly, afraid that if he said it too loudly he would speak it out of existence. He leaned in and kissed Lotor, softly and gently but also firm and passionate. He took his time exploring Lotor’s lips. He’d never been able to do that before, some looming threat always lurking in the back of his mind, making his kisses desperate. But not anymore. Now they had time to just _be_.

Lotor responded to the kiss with the same ease, moving his lips slowly against Sendak's. His hands moved back from Sendak's cheeks to the back of his head, and his delicate fingers combed slowly through the longer fur there. He tightened his legs a little around Sendak's hips, keeping their bodies close together. When they separated just a little for air, Lotor asked very quietly, "We have all the time in the world now for both rest and intimacy, so which would you like first?"

Sendak contemplated it. His instinct was still to make the most out of any moment with Lotor that he could possibly get, but of course there was no rush anymore. He was exhausted. “I just... want to hold you. I want to rest knowing that nobody will hurt us or separate us and I want to hold you.” He paused for a moment, looking at Lotor’s features, still not fully able to grasp that they were safe. “And I want to kiss you.”

Lotor smiled with amusement. "Of course you can kiss me." He gave Sendak a quick peck of a kiss. "But I agree. I'm exhausted, and I'm looking forward to finally sleeping somewhere I feel safe." He leaned into Sendak's chest again, holding him tight. "In your arms, in my own bed, in my room of my base in one of the best-hidden places in the universe..." He sighed contentedly, then yawned. "Let's lay down and relax."

Sendak nodded and settled down onto the bed, pulling Lotor down with him. He sighed in pure contentment as he wrapped his arms fully around him and pulled him close. Lotor fit so perfectly in his arms, as if they were made for each other. “I’m never letting go of you again,” he said but it was muffled by Lotor’s hair. “You’re so perfect and incredible and you’re my _korpar,_ my _mate,_ and I still can’t believe it.” He left a trail of kisses along Lotor’s jawline.

Lotor pressed himself as close to Sendak as possible and settled in, practically melting into Sendak's chest and into the bed. "I can," he murmured. "I can believe it. You were willing to sacrifice everything for me. You've done so much to keep me safe as possible. That more than explains why you're my soulmate."

Sendak combed his fingers through Lotor’s silky hair. “I just want to hold you and take care of you and make you forget everything bad that ever happened. It seems like the universe wanted me to prove it.” He smiled sheepishly. “I’m so happy you found your way into my room that night, so long ago, and I’m glad you couldn’t bring yourself to kill me.”

"I'm glad _you_ didn't kill _me_ when we first met," Lotor countered, his voice a little muffled into Sendak's fur. "You had me pinned. I was going to try my best, but I think you could have gotten the better of me right then. I'm glad fate had other plans." He went quiet for a few ticks, but then he added, "That's why I couldn't kill you. I knew you had the chance and didn't." He pulled his head out of Sendak's fur and looked up into his eyes. "What do you think you would've done if I hadn't recovered from my shock before you did just then?"

“I... I’m not quite sure. I knew, or at least suspected, who you were to me at that moment and I wanted to speak with you but even if I had recovered... I would’ve let you go. I didn’t give chase when I did recover because a part of me knew you and wished you got back to your companions safely. I do think I would’ve ultimately told you to go, if you hadn’t recovered quickly enough. I knew what they’d do to you if they caught you and... I hated the thought, even back then.”

Lotor nodded. "And that's why I couldn't kill you. I just _knew_ that you wouldn't hurt me." He nuzzled back into Sendak's chest. "And I was right."

Sendak closed his eyes and pulled Lotor close, burying his face in his hair and breathing him in. Just thinking about the things Lotor had gone through, the things they’d both gone through, made his protective instincts kick in, a fact which was not helped by the hormones telling him to wrap Lotor in soft blankets and make sure he never had need of anything. “It’s so nice to just lay together without any immediate threat waiting for us.”

"It is," Lotor said softly, and although Sendak couldn't see his face, he felt his happiness and contentment. His breathing slowed down as he relaxed, and then Lotor started purring very quietly, almost hesitantly.

It was such a soft sound, coming from him, since he was so much smaller. Sendak loved it. It was so uniquely Lotor’s and he thought it was perfect. He pressed kisses to every part of Lotor he could reach before closing his eyes and stroking his back in a steady rhythm and slowly letting his mind quiet down. “I love you,” he murmured on the edge of unconsciousness.

 _"...love you,"_ Lotor whispered drowsily, clearly just as close to sleep as Sendak was. His quiet purrs continued until they both drifted off, safe and secure in each other's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be an epilogue so stay tuned, guys 👀!  
> Leave a kudos and comment if you're enjoying it ;)


	11. Epilogue: Marmora

They rested for a full day and a half before Lotor practically leapt out of their room to ask Kolivan for something that needed to be done and begin on his own projects. He likely would’ve done so sooner if Sendak hadn’t held him so close, he assumed. He couldn’t have kept himself from smiling if he wanted to. It was so like Lotor. Unable to rest for longer than absolutely necessary. He probably would’ve crawled into the power room of the base and disappeared until he was satisfied every screw was in place, but luckily he liked sleeping next to Sendak. 

Sendak was still recovering from what turned out to be a minor brain injury. The blast had fried his optical nerve irreparably and caused some damage to the surrounding tissue and additionally caused the effects of a mild concussion so he’d taken it easy, as per Lotor’s orders. He couldn’t remember ever being this calm or feeling this safe, despite it all.

As the artificial day-cycle lights on the base began to dim, Sendak could feel that Lotor was approaching their room, so he wasn't surprised to hear a soft knock before the door opened. Lotor stepped inside, carrying a large plate of food. "Hello, love," he said with a smile as he entered. He set the food on the bed's nightstand before bending down to give Sendak a kiss. "I'm sorry for being away so long. How are you feeling?"

Sendak smiled. “Good. Even better now that you’re here, as always.” He kissed Lotor back and then peppered some kisses on his cheeks for good measure. “What have you been doing? And what’s all this? It looks delicious.” He motioned to the plate.

Lotor sat down next to Sendak and picked up the plate again. "Antok made enough dinner for everyone. I'm surprised at what he can make from nothing but preserved and packaged foods." He picked up a bite of meat and held it up to Sendak's lips. "As for what I've been doing, I had to run some system diagnostics on the base and make sure everything is in good repair. Kolivan has been doing his best, but neither he nor the other two are engineers. Thankfully, everything is holding up well. I only had to make some minor repairs."

“That sounds good,” Sendak said and then took the piece of meat from Lotor’s fingers with his mouth, maintaining eye contact with him. It had been nice to just sleep with Lotor by his side, but now that he was feeling better, he couldn’t help but _want_ him. “I missed you today,” he said softly and smirked at Lotor playfully.

Lotor raised an eyebrow and returned the smirk. "I missed you too." His eyes dropped to Sendak's lips, then back up to meet his gaze. Then his expression softened as he lightly touched the side of Sendak's face, careful not to disturb the damaged eye. "It looks like the inflammation has gone down. Maybe now would be a good time to give you this." He reached into the nightstand's lower drawer and pulled out an eyepatch made of thick but soft material. "I originally bought this for, ah, costuming, of the intimate variety." He smiled sheepishly. "I'm the only one who has worn it, and I promise it's clean. We can find you a more practical one later, but for now, this should do the trick."

Sendak smirked but he was touched at Lotor’s thoughtfulness. “An eyepatch, huh? Interesting.” He looked up at him and pressed another kiss to his lips. “I love it. Thank you.” He slipped the eyepatch over his blind eye and adjusted it to keep it in place. It fit perfectly. “How do I look?” he asked with a smirk. “Dashing?”

Lotor's eyes lit up, and he smiled suggestively as he leaned in. " _Very_ much so, my love. You look very handsome." He caressed Sendak's cheek before closing the distance between them in a kiss.

Sendak hummed contentedly against Lotor’s lips and pulled him closer. “You look so beautiful,” he said, breaking the kiss and cradling Lotor’s face in his hands. He planted another kiss on Lotor’s face before running his fingers through his hair, tugging at it the way he knew Lotor liked. “I want you tonight, love,” he whispered. “Would you like that? Do you want me as well?”

"Of course," Lotor answered as he leaned into Sendak's touch. "As long as you're feeling well enough." His hands wandered sensually across his chest and shoulders. "You could lay back and let me take care of you, or you can have me however you prefer..." His deep blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

He plunged his hand into Lotor’s hair and gently but firmly exposed his neck, mouthing at the smooth skin. “It would be rude to have you do all the work, don’t you think?” He smiled against Lotor’s skin and left small bite marks in his wake, covering each nip with a kiss. “Tell me what you want, baby.”

"I want a lot of things," Lotor whispered breathily, and he shivered at the little nips. "I want to go slow and gentle and memorize each other's bodies. I want to go hard and rough until I forget everything but your name. I want to melt into your touches, but I also want to resist just to feel your powerful muscles holding me down again..." He shivered again, even more so this time. "We have all the time in the universe to try anything we like, from making love pure and simple to trying out every little toy in my nightstand. Surprise me."

Sendak hummed thoughtfully and nuzzled against Lotor’s neck, palming his ass with his other hand. The last time they’d had the time for this he hadn’t had both arms, and now he couldn’t wait to pin Lotor down the way he liked. _“Every little toy in your nightstand?”_ he asked with a smirk and let Lotor feel his fangs against his skin. “That sounds interesting, but I believe that I’ll need more information to be able to make use of those. Besides...” he emphasized his words with a sharper tug to Lotor’s hair and dragged his fangs over his throat. “I don’t think we need them right now.”

Lotor's heart rate sped up, pulse fluttering under Sendak's fangs. He groaned and tilted his head further while his hands went to Sendak's shoulders and clung there. "Whatever you want," he breathed. "They can wait. I just need _you."_

Sendak left more playful bites and kisses in his wake and began unzipping Lotor’s suit. “What I want is to see you bare before me and then I’ll decide what to do with you.” He guided Lotor into a long and sensual kiss, opening his suit further and beginning to peel it off. “I want to hear you moan and whimper and I want to see your stunning face, flushed and blissed out, your soft hair spread out around you. I want you to let go and lose yourself in the pleasure. Can you do that for me, baby?”

Lotor moaned softly. "Yes, yes, that's perfect." His grip tightened on Sendak's shoulders, and there was eagerness in his own eyes as he looked up into Sendak's. He let go just long enough to allow Sendak to pull the suit over his arms before he started to unzip Sendak’s suit in return.

Sendak released his grip on Lotor’s hair, stroking his cheek and running his fingers down the column of his throat to his chest and finally to the side of his ribs, running his thumb over his nipple. He loved the way Lotor moved, the way he reacted to his touch. “You’re so lovely,” he whispered. “The most beautiful creature in the universe and you’re all mine, just as I’m yours.” He pulled his own suit over his arms before returning his attention to Lotor’s bare torso, wrapping his hands around his waist. He tugged slightly and softly told Lotor to sit up. “I want to see all of you,” he said with a smirk.

Lotor reached up and looped his arms around the back of Sendak's neck. He drew himself closer until their chests were nearly touching, with mere inches of air charged with the best kind of tension between them. He tilted his head up and brought his lips close to Sendak's ear as he whispered, "Like this...?"

Sendak drew circles on Lotor’s hips with his thumbs and then pushed the suit down further, freeing his cock and exposing his pretty ass. He squeezed it playfully and made an approving sound. “Yes, baby, that’s perfect. You’re so pretty.” He tugged at Lotor’s suit, now sitting at his mid-thigh. “Can you get this the rest of the way off for me, love?”

Lotor's ears went down and reddened a little, the only outward acknowledgement of the flustered feeling that Sendak could sense through their bond anyways. He shifted his weight as he pulled the suit down past his knees and then kicked it off, letting it drop to the floor without another care. Then he smirked as his gaze dropped down to where Sendak's suit still maintained a thin veneer of modesty over his very obvious erection. His gaze came back up to meet Sendak's again, and he raised one eyebrow expectantly.

Sendak chuckled and gave Lotor a peck on the cheek. “Impatient,” he said in a low voice but carefully pulled his suit the rest of the way off, freeing his cock. He hadn’t realized how hard he’d gotten, too distracted by Lotor lounging in his lap. He reached over to the bedside table where he knew Lotor was keeping lube in easy reach, rummaging around until he found a small bottle. He slicked up his fingers and brought them to Lotor’s entrance, teasing the rim torturously slowly. He pulled Lotor against him with his other hand, pinning him to his chest to keep him from rocking up against his hand, forcing him to take what Sendak would give him. He pushed the tip of his index finger inside and then withdrew it again, toying with Lotor’s rim. Sendak did want to relieve the pressure of his erection but he couldn’t help teasing Lotor a little, he was so beautiful when he fell apart like this.

At first, Lotor whined a little and squirmed in Sendak's lap, trying to buck his hips as much as he could. When his efforts yielded no results, he gave a whimper and buried his face into Sendak's neck, then went limp and pliant against him aside from a few little twitches and other reactions as Sendak continued to tease him. "Love, please..." He sounded needy, halfway to desperate already.

Sendak stroked his back soothingly. “Hush, baby, it’s alright, just be patient for me and let me take care of you.” He pressed his finger in again, deeper this time. “I’m going to open you up slowly, there’s no rush here, we can finally take our time. I want to hear every little sound that comes out of your mouth tonight.”

Lotor groaned, but he started to relax a little more. "Not... not used to taking things slow," he admitted breathlessly. "I'm more used to quick hookups. It's so different with you." He hugged Sendak tightly, keeping them both pressed together.

Sendak cupped the back of Lotor’s head and held him close, planting a kiss on his temple. “I think you might like it,” he said and slowly added another finger to his ministrations. They slid into Lotor smoothly, his muscles completely relaxed. “You’re so sensitive, baby, but don’t worry,” he leaned in to whisper into Lotor’s delicately pointed ear. “I promise I’ll still hold you down tonight. How could I resist? You make the prettiest gasps and moans when I do.” He added another finger, curling them inside Lotor to hit his sensitive nerves as he grazed the tip of Lotor’s ear with his fangs.

"I— _ahhhhh_ —I _do_ like this," Lotor admitted. He didn't hold back any of his sounds of pleasure, and it was easy to tell just by his moans where he was most sensitive. "How did you get so _good_ at this?" he asked, though it was clear he wasn't really looking for an answer.

Sendak smirked and curled his fingers again. “The same way you did, I suppose. _Practice._ But it helps a lot in this case that I feel exactly what you like through the bond and you’re so sensitive that I barely need it.” He took hold of Lotor’s hair again and guided his lips to meet his, kissing him as he slid in a fourth finger. “Do you think you’re ready?” he asked softly after a while, still leaving kisses on Lotor’s soft lips as he moved his fingers slowly, gently.

Lotor half-laughed, half-groaned. "You're going to kill me..." He pressed his lips to Sendak's again, passionate and desperate yet sweet. "...and I accept my fate gladly." He made an attempt at a smirk, though his eyes were hazy with pleasure and need. _"Take me."_

Sendak kissed him again before wrapping his arms around Lotor and setting him on the bed, facing him. He sat back for a moment, admiring the sight as he carefully slicked up his cock. “You’re so beautiful. It’s a privilege to see you like this, so flushed and wanting.” He stroked up Lotor’s thigh and aligned his cock with Lotor’s entrance. He slid in impossibly smoothly as he ran his hands up both sides of Lotor’s body, his thighs, his hips, his ribs, coming up to his arms and finally his wrists, holding them firmly. He kissed his forehead as he bottomed out, leaving his mouth free for those sweet sounds to fall from his lips.

"O- _ohhh,_ Sen-!" Lotor wrapped his legs around Sendak's waist and arched his back. He pulled a little against Sendak's hold on his wrists, though he was barely even trying. "You feel _perfect,"_ he groaned. "So big... and—" He made a sound that might have been a laugh. "—and your cock isn't bad either."

Sendak released a chuckle, though it was a little breathless with pleasure, and kissed Lotor. He moved both his wrists into the grip of his prosthetic and brought his other hand to his hips, steadying him. Then he began moving and the universe narrowed down to the two of them, the way Lotor felt against him, around him. “You’re so perfect for me, baby.” It felt like they were made for each other, and in a way they were. Lotor’s pleasure spiked through him alongside his own and he angled his hips more to reach the places Lotor wanted him most.

Lotor at first bit his lip to hold back his cries, but he quickly surrendered to the pleasure, all but melting under Sendak. His legs tensed around Sendak's hips as Lotor moaned every time he hit a particularly sensitive spot. All restraint quickly faded, and Lotor's sounds of pleasure grew louder.

He felt his own pleasure building in tandem with Lotor’s and it was overwhelming. “That’s it,” he whispered, moving his hips in a steady rhythm and kissing Lotor’s cheek lovingly. “You feel incredible. You can let go for me, darling, I want to see you let go.” He could barely manage the words, lost in his own pleasure.

Lotor moaned even louder, and he let out little whimpers between his moans. His legs went limp around Sendak's waist, barely holding on above his hips. His body relaxed almost entirely except for his hole, which clenched erratically around Sendak's cock as he approached his climax.

Sendak bent down and pressed open mouthed kisses to Lotor’s throat, needing to taste him. He dragged his fangs over Lotor’s supple skin. “Cum for me,” he growled, so that Lotor would feel it more than hear it.

Lotor's entire body tensed up at once as he arched his back and pulled at Sendak's hold on his wrists. With a strangled gasp, he came, clenching down around Sendak's cock. Then he shuddered before going almost completely limp again, lost in a bliss that was carried through the bond.

A few more thrusts had Sendak coming as well and he gasped as his own climax hit him in tandem with Lotor’s, leaving him blissed out and overwhelmed. It took him a few moments to return to himself enough to pull out and collapse next to Lotor, pulling him close and wrapping him in his arms to leave soft and lazy kisses on every inch of him he could reach. “That was perfect,” he whispered between soft touches of his lips to Lotor’s skin.

"Mmm," Lotor hummed in hazy acknowledgment. He snuggled up into Sendak's chest and draped one arm over his side. Then he gave a very large yawn, big enough to show off his itty-bitty fangs, before he nuzzled his head into Sendak's chest. As if his totally relaxed state or the waves of blissful contentment through their bond weren't enough, he started to purr louder than Sendak had ever heard him before.

Sendak felt his chest tighten in adoration at the way Lotor purred, at the way he looked so relaxed. He stroked his back and began purring himself, completely content with the way Lotor felt in his arms. He kissed his forehead again, unable to stop himself. The intense love he felt at that moment only increased when he looked at Lotor. There were no words to express the way he felt so he hoped Lotor could feel an echo of it through their bond as he held him and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of their joined purrs. “I love you,” he whispered, almost too quiet to hear.

Lotor was already falling asleep, but he squeezed Sendak a little and nuzzled his chest, and that was answer enough. Within just a few more ticks, his purrs trailed off into slow, even breaths as he fell asleep.

Sendak soon followed, listening to the soothing rhythm of Lotor’s breaths and stroking his back in time with them until he drifted off to the most peaceful sleep he’d had in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are two more chapters in the epilogue, just to wrap things up.  
> Leave a kudos and comment to keep your local fic writers alive ;)


	12. Chapter 12

Time passed fast yet slow as Lotor and Sendak worked with Kolivan, Antok, and Krolia to get the food and supplies they needed for their life in hiding. They soon recruited more contacts Kolivan knew, other people who admitted to sharing his discontent with the empire, and as their numbers grew, so did their plans. They formed a resistance that they named the Blade of Marmora. 

The luxite was put to good use not only to create a better arm for Sendak but also to create stealth weapons for their new resistance. The size-changing properties of luxite made it perfect for concealed weapons, which became increasingly important as the rebels attempted increasingly elaborate attacks. 

Sendak was quite satisfied with this new life, falling naturally into a command role with Lotor as his tactician while Kolivan acted as a secondary commander and as a recruiter and trainer. Even when they did recruit a couple of people with medical training, it turned out that Sendak's optical nerve was too damaged to connect a prosthetic to it. Still, Lotor got him a few eyepatches and assured him that he looked very sexy wearing them. 

Lotor was, for the most part, very happy. He seemed to thrive off of the thrill of the new rebellion, and he clearly enjoyed only having his soulmate for a boss instead of running his actions by someone else, no matter how lenient Faela had been. Despite all this, it was clear that he missed her and the rest of them, missed his friends and his people. He didn't fit in among the purebred Galra who made up most of the recruits so far, and he looked so Altean that many of them questioned his claim to Galra blood at first. Where the others all had the experience of living in the empire and most were young enough that it was all they had ever known, Lotor was on the edge of these discussions, and it was clear that he was lonely in a way that Sendak alone couldn't compensate for.

Then, out of the blue, a message came in. Though Lotor hadn't told any of the Alteans where he was hiding, Faela had guessed that he would utilize this base, and she'd sent a message. After a few communications back and forth that hinted that Hira was no longer a problem, Lotor had told her about the Blade of Marmora. Now she was coming, along with Merla and Luka, as an ambassador to the rebellion on behalf of the Altean haven. 

As Faela flew the ship in according to the course Lotor had given her, Lotor and Sendak stood in the base's hangar, waiting for the Alteans to arrive. Lotor appeared calm, but he kept fidgeting, and his nervous-excited energy was so clear through the bond that it was starting to rub off on Sendak.

He wrapped his arm around Lotor’s shoulders, pulling him close and pressing a kiss to his temple. He loved how easy it was to do that now, with nobody there to potentially harm them. He loved being able to kiss Lotor whenever he wanted. “It’ll be alright, love. Are you happy to see them again?” Distracting Lotor from his anxiety would probably help him calm down a little. It was worth an attempt and Sendak’s touch always seemed to calm him down.

Lotor smiled weakly. "I am. I'm just— I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much." He leaned into Sendak's side and wrapped an arm around his waist. "I can't help but hope that this is the first of many visits, but I don't know that yet. This could be something only permitted to happen rarely or just this once." His weak smile turned into a worried frown. "If this really is the only time, I'll have to make the most of it. I'm trying to set my expectations low so that I won't be disappointed if that's the case."

“We’ll make sure it’s not the only time. I know that things have been... a bit difficult for you and I know you miss them. We’ll come to an agreement with the haven. They can’t cut you off from your people like this, I won’t allow it, and I’m sure they’ll be opposed as well.” He squeezed Lotor’s shoulder gently, reassuringly. “We’ll find a way together.”

Lotor nodded and smiled gratefully up at Sendak. "You're right. I mean, I'm happier now than I've ever been, but I still miss them. I don't know if I'll ever return to the haven after all the trouble we had last time, but I miss certain people... Faela most of all. I'll be very glad to see her again, and Merla and Luka of course." He sighed. "I hope we can work out some sort of arrangement."

“We will,” he said with absolute certainty. He didn’t let go of Lotor’s shoulders as the Altean ship entered the hangar through the force field and landed close by, setting down gently on the metal floor. It was slightly larger than the one they had taken when they’d escaped from the haven but not by much. He smiled at Lotor. “Shall we go greet our guests?”

Lotor mirrored his smile. "Yes, we sh—" The ship's door opened, and immediately a red-headed blur darted out and tackled Lotor in a hug. He stumbled back a step before steadying them both, and he very well might have fallen over if it hadn't been for Sendak's arm around his shoulders. "Lotor!" Luka beamed up at him, not at all apologetic for nearly knocking him over. "Oh, it's been so long! I'm so glad you're okay!"

She turned her bright smile to Sendak as well. "And Sendak! Oh, your new arm looks fabulous! I'm glad to see you're both doing alright. When I heard about the escape attempt and how _that_ went, I was so worried about you both."

Lotor chuckled weakly as he wrapped his arms around her to embrace her. "We're quite alright. I'm glad to see you too."

Sendak smiled. He’d missed Luka’s enthusiasm and he knew Lotor saw her as a little sister. He was happy to see her again. Looking over at the ship he saw the others, Faela followed by Merla, walk out and raised his hand in greeting, still keeping his arm wrapped around Lotor’s shoulders. “It’s good to see you too, Luka,” he said, although she still had her face buried in Lotor’s chest.

Luka squeezed Lotor one more time before letting him go and wrapping her arms around Sendak, hugging him with nearly as much enthusiasm. "I missed you both," she told him before letting go. Faela took the opportunity to hug Lotor next, squeezing him tight for a few ticks before letting him go and reaching up and patting Sendak's shoulder affectionately (and it _was_ quite a reach). "Running a whole rebellion now?" She shook her head even as she smiled and looked into Lotor's eyes. "I'm so proud of you. I know you've always wanted something more and to— to make a difference. I'm glad you've found that now." She looked up at Sendak next. "And thank you for taking care of him. I'm very relieved to see you both alive and in good health."

Sendak inclined his head in gratefulness for her words. “Thank you. It’s good to see you again as well,” he said, smiling at her. He could never thank her enough for standing up for them and helping them escape and for being there for Lotor all those years. He held her in high esteem. He squeezed Lotor’s shoulders gently and smiled to himself. Faela had thanked him for taking care of him. He felt his ears flick slightly. They took care of each other but he couldn’t help feeling proud that she trusted him to keep Lotor safe.

Lotor seemed a little at a loss for words, and his voice was suspiciously tight as he said, "It's wonderful to see you too. Thank you for helping us escape." 

"It was the least I could do." She put her hands on Lotor's shoulders and pulled him down a little, and he obligingly bowed his head so she could kiss his forehead. "I know Peretea would be proud of you too," she murmured, too quiet for anyone but Sendak and Lotor to hear. Lotor nodded again and, as Faela stepped away, he discreetly wiped his eyes.

Then it was Merla's turn. She was dressed in rather nice clothing, and she'd grown her hair out a little and put it up in a more mature hairstyle. She looked older, but in a good way, like she'd stepped gracefully out of young adulthood and into full adulthood. Clearly, however, she hadn't changed all that much, as she still had a glint of mischief in her eye as she shamelessly looked Lotor and Sendak both up and down and raised an eyebrow. "Skintight bodysuits for your uniform? I must say, _I_ approve, but who knows how others might—"

"Oh, shut up and hug us already," Lotor quipped, but he was grinning, and Merla's smirk broke into a grin of her own as she pulled him into a rib-crushing hug to rival her sister's.

Sendak smiled as he pulled her into his own arms after she released Lotor. Smirking at her, he added, “They can be impractical at times but the view more than makes up for it.” He said the words low enough that nobody except for Merla and Lotor would be able to hear. He looked at her again, seriously this time. “Thank you,” he said. “We owe you so much. You helped us even though it was nearly impossible to do so and I will never be able to thank you enough. I’m sure Lotor would agree. Nevertheless, thank you for everything.”

Merla was beaming at the easy banter, though her expression shifted into a softer smile as Sendak spoke. "I'll admit, it wasn't easy. After you took off, the guards arrested me, and then we all underwent quite a political shakeup as news of what all had happened got out. I went from being a prisoner on trial for treason to being the new Council Representative of Defense in the span of two weeks." 

Lotor's jaw dropped. "You... you _took Hira's job?!"_

"Yup," she confirmed, grinning in a very self-satisfied way. "The people all hailed me as a hero and a martyr for standing up to Hira and helping you two escape. Faela honestly had a lot to do with that." 

Faela raised her hands defensively. "I simply told everyone the truth. It isn't _my_ fault that the truth happens to reflect very poorly on Hira. With Paeanor backing me up and even Consi confirming my story, general sentiment quickly turned to rage over how frankly dictatorial Hira's actions were, not just in this but in other matters." 

"I remember," Lotor commented mildly, though he was clearly impressed. 

"And since I happened to be the only person who'd been working for her who turned against her," Merla continued, "I was the only person qualified for the job that the people would trust. Once Paeanor got the position as the new Head of the Council and he and Faela voted to throw out the charges against me, I won the emergency election in a landslide." 

"I..." Lotor shook his head. "Congratulations."

Sendak grinned and placed his hand on her shoulder, looking at Lotor. “This is very good news,” he told her. “We were worried this would be the only time we got to see you and then you’d be forbidden from returning here. Does this mean that the council would approve of an alliance? We could benefit greatly from working together against the empire.” His gaze wandered between Lotor and Merla, unable to contain his smile. This was exactly what Lotor had wanted. He leaned into Lotor. “Do you think we should lead our guests to a place we can sit down and talk, love? About everything?”

Lotor nodded. "Yes, let's all come on in and sit down. Antok made enough food for everyone." He motioned for the Alteans to follow as he led the way to the common dining area, though they all most likely remembered its location. 

Merla walked the closest to Lotor, keeping in step with him as she continued talking to answer Sendak's question. "I wanted to reach out sooner, but Faela said we needed to get everything in order before adding _another_ shakeup to the mix." 

"The waiting was hard," Faela said regretfully. "We wanted some of the turmoil to die down before suggesting reaching out to you. Paeanor said he wouldn't vote in our favor until the people had gotten over all the fervor of throwing Hira out of office, and with Aedificor voting against _everything_ right now just to spite us—" 

"Being an asshole like usual," Merla cut in. 

Lotor chuckled. "Oh, I can believe that, especially for anything relating to me." 

"—and with Consi quite dismayed by the lack of order recently," Faela continued, "we had to wait until Paeanor could vote with us in good conscience." 

"He's always been very sensible," Lotor noted. "I'm not surprised, and quite frankly, I agree with his call." 

Merla shrugged. "You call it sensible, I call it overcautious, but sure. Then we had to go through full council proceedings to pardon you for running away after being arrested, to reverse the decision to keep you and Sendak locked up in the first place, to grant Sendak citizenship rights as your spouse..." She'd said most of this in a somewhat exasperated tone, but an edge of prompting came into her tone at the end as she quite obviously looked to Sendak and Lotor for their reaction.

Sendak shared a look with his soulmate. They’d promised each other they’d get married eventually, quietly. They didn’t need to show the world what they both knew already. However, with all the commotion and how busy they’d been running the Blade, there hadn’t been much time for even a private ceremony. He looked at Merla and smiled sheepishly, certain that Lotor was bearing a similar expression. “We... haven’t really gotten around to a ceremony yet,” he said and squeezed Lotor’s hand. “There’s just been too much going on, really.”

"You haven't?!" Luka ran up a few steps to catch up and give Sendak and Lotor a very shocked look. 

"We haven't," Lotor admitted wryly as the group reached the dining hall. "We've been married in every way that counts for a long time, and especially since coming here and being able to just live together in relative peace and quiet, we just... settled directly into married life, I suppose. For a while, we were just exhausted, and then the rebellion started ramping up and we found ourselves incredibly busy." 

"That's completely understandable," Faela assured them as she took one of the seats there. "Regardless, you're still married by Altean legal standards, and your right to citizenship still applies."

"But you _should_ have a ceremony!" Luka insisted. "Maybe we could host one for you at the haven." 

"It would really depend on whether any of the Galra rebels are supposed to come," Merla said, sounding thoughtful as she took a seat next to Faela. "I _am_ the Representative of Defense, so I'm obligated to point out that some of the people would perceive a potential security risk with letting a bunch of Galra come to the haven. Sendak is an exception, of course, after everything, but I'd say if you try to bring more than one or two Galra rebels, people are going to be concerned."

Sendak frowned but he knew she was right. “Honestly we haven’t really thought about how and where. I think that if we want to be allies we should do this together, unite our people, in a way. I don’t think we should choose between them for this. Perhaps the best idea would be neutral ground, if we even find the time for it. I am also perfectly happy like this.” He said and wrapped an arm around Lotor’s waist after he’d sat down. He was still wrapping his mind around being married to Lotor in the Altean sense. He’d known it, intellectually, but it was different to hear it from someone. Lotor’s spouse. He liked that. He liked the idea of being Lotor’s husband officially. If he was being honest with himself he loved the idea of referring to Lotor as his husband more than anything. Sendak smiled to himself at the way this strategic alliance meeting was well on its way to turning into wedding planning.

Lotor gave him a knowing look, but then he sighed. "As nice as the idea of neutral ground is, there's an inherent risk in bringing any Alteans _out_ of the haven." He shook his head. " _Speaking of which,_ wasn't there supposed to be an actual point to this meeting? Touching as this is, I know you didn't go through the Quantum Abyss just to plan a party." 

Luka pouted as she sat down next to Merla, across from Sendak and Lotor. "Come on, wouldn't a celebration be a great way to mend trust and put everyone on the same page?"

"If it requires moving Alteans _out_ of the haven..." Lotor sighed. "It's rather dangerous."

Faela raised her hands in a halting gesture. "Alright, alright, Lotor is right. We can do wedding planning later. First, let's talk about what we came here for." She took a deep breath. "Lotor, quite frankly, you were the best agent I had, and we both know it. Part of your strength was because you were the only one who could _really_ go undercover for any meaningful amount of time, even if it was too risky to ever try keeping you undercover for long. The fact that you could walk around a Galra ship without being questioned and could keep that cover even if you had to take your helmet off gave you a unique advantage. "Now?" She motioned to the base all around. "You've apparently got full-blood Galra working for you against the empire, which is frankly _incredible_. You're in a great position to be able to gather resources, not only for your own base, but—" 

"—for the haven too," Lotor finished. "That crossed my mind as well. If you want to trade supplies—" 

"Trading supplies is one thing." Faela leaned forward, looking into Lotor's eyes and then Sendak's. "But imagine what we could do working _together_ on these operations."

Sendak’s arm around Lotor’s waist tightened involuntarily. He was the most capable person Sendak knew but the memory of their bond flaring up with pain and going silent moments later always had his heart hammering in his chest regardless. He looked at Lotor and then locked eyes with Faela. “It’s too big a risk for Lotor or me to go undercover. The empire is still searching for us and we'd be found out quickly. I fully agree that we could all benefit from sending full-blooded Galra in undercover and I believe that certain raids would benefit from an Altean support team, making it easier overall for both groups than it would be separately. We've managed to conduct such operations in the past, where we had an agent on the inside guiding us past patrols and such, but never on a very large scale, since we simply lack the numbers. I'm sure we could find a way to coordinate these raids and use our numbers to target larger and better supply lines.”

Lotor frowned as he considered this. "Putting Alteans into the field is risky. It's dangerous enough for me to go out there, nevermind a full Altean. However, I do believe that working together would provide us more opportunities, and we'd certainly benefit from having healers on hand here at the base." He glanced over at Luka.

Faela hummed an affirming tone. "We can be backup, pilots, healers... whatever each operation needs. But no matter what, coordination will befit both groups." 

"Absolutely." Lotor smiled, looking a little relieved. "Not to mention that I think our rebels would benefit from training with experienced Altean operatives."

Sendak nodded. The Alteans had been raiding Galra supply lines for as long as he could remember. They were familiar with all sorts of tactics everyone could benefit from, especially if they had people on the inside helping them. He looked between Lotor and Faela. "It seems we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We will stand together in the fight against the empire." He looked at Lotor for confirmation, giving him the final say in the matter, but he knew he'd already made his decision.

Lotor took a deep breath and nodded. "Then we have a deal?" He held out a hand across the table to Faela, palm out. 

She placed her palm against his as she gave him a look that conveyed _'seriously?'_ "Do we need the formalities? But yes, we do." A brief glow appeared between their hands, and their marks lit up for just a tick before returning to normal. 

"You _are_ the council representative," Lotor pointed out. "Now you can tell the others that the deal has been formally made and is ritually binding." 

"Fair enough." Faela's expression softened, as if she'd realized something that explained what she was previously bemused about.

Sendak suppressed the urge to kiss Lotor’s little marks, opting instead to simply trace idle circles on Lotor’s hip. He loved the way Lotor looked when his marks glowed, as if some of that light that he carried inside became visible. He smiled. “Now that we’re done with formalities, I believe we should eat. You’ve had a long journey, I’m sure. Will you stay the night?”

"Yeah, it was quite a trip." Merla stretched and made no attempt to keep her weariness out of her expression.

"It'll be strange, sleeping here again after so long," Faela remarked, looking around. "It already feels strange to be walking around here. It looks mostly the same."

"I thought about trying to give you your old rooms, but I thought perhaps that would be a little strange." Lotor smiled wryly. "I've prepared a few rooms just down the hall from our room. The other rebels mostly sleep in the other wings of the base, so you'll have a little space from them." He then rose from the table. "I'll go fetch the food from the kitchen."

Sendak rose as well, wanting to help Lotor. There was too much for him to carry alone anyway. He nodded at their guests politely and followed Lotor into the adjacent kitchen.

He came up behind Lotor and rested his chin on his shoulder, hugging him. “People have called me many things, but I believe that being referred to as your spouse just now was my favorite I’ve heard so far.”

Lotor turned his head toward Sendak's and nuzzled him. "You must not be including anything I've called you," he teased. "But yes, I like the sound of that too. My spouse." He kissed Sendak's cheek. "My husband."

Sendak leaned into the kiss and closed his eye, focusing on the way Lotor felt against him and holding him closer. “It sounds even better when you say it,” he said softly. _“Husband.”_ He let the word roll off his tongue, testing it.

Lotor put his arms over Sendak's, hugging Sendak's arms to his chest. "Yes, my husband." He sounded very content, and he rested his head against Sendak's. "And I'm your husband."

Sendak smiled brightly and hugged Lotor closer, planting a kiss on his cheek. “I love you. You’re my heart, Lotor.” He paused for a moment, rubbing his cheek against Lotor’s. “And my husband.” He loved the way it sounded.

"I love you too." Lotor's voice was warm, full of happiness and affection. "I do like the sound of that, _‘husband.'_ I've always wanted to get married, to have a spouse and to be someone's husband." He gave Sendak another kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad fate gave us each other."

Sendak held him close. “So am I, love.” Sometimes he still couldn’t believe it was real, but here he was with his soulmate in his arms.

They stood together for a while longer until Sendak reluctantly began pulling back. “We should probably go back out...”

"I suppose so. We don't want them to come looking for us." Lotor turned around and gave Sendak one quick kiss on the lips, then picked up a couple of the platters of food and headed back to the dining hall.

Sendak did the same after smiling after him for a moment, carrying the platters out and sitting back down on his seat next to Lotor. He smiled at the gathered Alteans. “Let’s eat,” he said, still thinking about Lotor calling him his husband and smiling to himself. He’d half-expected Merla to comment on their absence. Maybe that was still coming, he thought, remembering the way she’d told him about Lotor’s _preferences_ and unable to keep a small amused smile from his face.

It seemed Merla was too distracted by the food to comment on their prolonged disappearance, but Lotor must have sensed his amusement, because he gave Sendak a bemused and somewhat curious look before digging into the food. 

The dishes were from a few different cultures, since Antok seemed to like experimenting with recipes, and they were all mostly plant-based with the exception of a meat dish that was mostly for Sendak and Lotor to share, though the ladies each tried a bite. 

After she'd tasted everything, Luka ignored the rest of her food for a moment in favor of leaning forward and drawing Sendak's and Lotor's attention. "Now that we have the official stuff sorted, can we go back to planning your wedding?" 

Lotor shook his head and huffed a silent laugh, but then he nodded. "Alright, if you insist." 

"I do insist! You deserve a nice wedding." 

"I agree," Merla said. She was leaning back casually, but her expression was thoughtful and calculating. "Who would you want to have present? That'll probably have to determine the venue."

Sendak smiled at Luka and inched slightly closer to Lotor. “Honestly we haven’t really considered it much. I think we’d both like for the Blade to be present as well as our friends from the haven.” He paused for a moment, mulling over the options. “I’m not sure how we would do that, though. When we talked about a wedding, we usually spoke of it as something private and intimate. Perhaps we could just have it with a few close friends present.” He looked at Lotor and smiled. “I don’t think I care where or how we do it. I could get married to you right now and it would be perfect.”

"Hmm..." Lotor seemed to consider this for a moment. "Well, I would want you three there for sure." He nodded to the three Alteans at the table. "I would at least invite Paeanor, and Tavo as well. I think of a few others that I would invite if we had the ceremony at the haven, but their presence isn't required. The only other person I would insist on having with us would be Kolivan, but if it wouldn't be too much trouble, I would like for Antok, Krolia, and Thace to come as well." 

Luka had put up a finger for each person Lotor named, and now she looked at her nine raised fingers. "So, including you two, that would be 11 people to transport to whatever location. That's not too bad." 

"If we have it here or anywhere outside the haven, Paeanor would just send his blessing and a gift, but we could certainly come back with Tavo," Faela said. "Luka and I both know how to navigate the Quantum Abyss nearly as well as you do. We shouldn't have any trouble." 

Lotor nodded. "Then it would make sense to have it here." 

Merla, who had been staring at a spot on the table with a very concentrated expression, now looked up and locked eyes with Lotor. "We should consider the optics. If we do make this a public affair, we'd be announcing your wedding ceremony, which will be the first wedding between an Altean and a Galra since before the war, at the same time we announce our new alliance. I don't mean to reduce your wedding to a publicity stunt, but—" 

"—it's a golden opportunity," Lotor admitted. 

"Exactly. Now that I'm really thinking about it, I want to take back what I said earlier about the perceived security risk. As long as you're not showing up with all twenty-something rebels, I think having this at the haven and bringing a few rebel representatives could do wonders in getting most everyone to accept the alliance."

Sendak’s hand found Lotor’s under the table and he squeezed it gently. He nodded, looking between his soulmate and Merla. They really were incredibly similar in a lot of ways. “I think that’s a good idea. Besides, it’s nice to be on a planet, for once. We could bring Kolivan and the others and make this a diplomatic mission for the good of the rebellion as a whole. I’m aware that Altean weddings are more of a formal declaration of the bond, though I believe it would be nice to implement some elements of Galra culture as well.” He looked at Lotor, squeezing his hand again. “What do you say, love?”

Lotor seemed to think it over for a few ticks, but then he nodded. "Yes, let's do it." 

"Great!" Luka sat forward, apparently more excited than ever now that it was officially going to happen. "We can plan everything out for you and get it all set up so that you don't have to worry about anything but getting yourselves and your guests to the haven."

Sendak couldn't have stopped the smile from spreading across his face if he'd wanted to. Luka's excitement was sweet, and after everything it was nice to plan something that wasn't directly tied to a life-or-death scenario. "That sounds very nice, Luka, thank you," he told her.

They spoke for a long time about the wedding and the food and other more inconsequential things and it was... nice. By the time the conversation lulled the food was long gone and Sendak had his arm draped around Lotor's shoulders. "When should the wedding be?" he asked, realizing no plans had been made for that yet.

"Soon," Merla said immediately. "We'll make the announcement of the alliance when we get back, and we'll announce the public reception then, too."

"I agree," Lotor said. "I'll write up invitations for those we're inviting to the ceremony so that you can deliver those first, but then yes, making the announcement and moving forward quickly would be a good idea." 

Luka's excitement had mellowed a little during the conversation, but she looked as enthusiastic as before now that the plans were almost finalized. "I can get it all set up within just a few weeks. I'll coordinate everything, don't worry." 

"Then it's settled." Lotor leaned into Sendak's side and relaxed, and Sendak could feel that he was starting to get tired. "Thank you all for this."

Sendak kissed the top of Lotor’s head and got up carefully, piling the dishes on top of each other. “I’ll be right back,” he said and took them to the kitchen, quickly making his way back to the table. “This has been lovely and I believe I speak for both of us when I say that your support and friendship means a lot to us. It’s been a rather long day and if you wish, we can show you to your rooms.”

Faela stood first, giving Sendak a warm smile. "Yes, thank you." She looked between Merla, Luka and Lotor, then looked back to Sendak. "Why don't you walk me to mine, and then the other three can catch up in a few doboshes?" She started to move toward the door, looking to Sendak.

Sendak looked after her for a moment. It seemed Faela wanted to speak with him alone. He shared a quick glance with Lotor and then gave him a small peck on the cheek before hurrying after Faela. “Of course,” he said, a little anxious. “Right this way.”

Faela walked quietly alongside him until they got out of earshot of the dining room. "I didn't know Lotor when he was very young," she started, looking down the corridor, seemingly at nothing in particular. "He had another caretaker then, an elderly woman who passed away peacefully when he was in his adolescent years. I never knew her. Peretea and I had been in the same group of refugees since shortly after the destruction of Altea, and our group merged with Lotor's group not long after his caretaker had died. 

"Peretea saw something in him that others didn't. He was so cold and detached, but she took the time to teach him and encourage his interests, and she gained his trust. They were very similar, both so incredibly smart and creative, both so brave..." She stopped suddenly and matched Sendak's gaze. "She died by sacrificing herself in much the same way Lotor did when he was captured. She made sure everyone else escaped at the cost of her own life." 

Her gaze dropped to the ground then, and she took a deep breath in and out before continuing, "I felt responsible for that, and I still do, in a way. I know she volunteered for that mission, but I was the one who sent her. Since then, I've done my best to support Lotor, to try to both encourage and protect him." She looked up again, and there were tears in her eyes. "I just wanted to say thank you for taking such good care of him. I've never seen him so happy and at ease before. If Peretea were here, I know she'd say the same thing."

Sendak looked at Faela for a few ticks. He was touched by her words. Her approval meant so much to him. She’d done so much to help them and she was practically family to Lotor and now to him as well. “Thank you, Faela, that means a lot to me.” He paused, contemplating his thoughts. “Lotor... he went through so much already since I’ve met him, since we bonded. I’ve tried to protect him as much as possible but I didn’t always succeed.” He remembered the way Lotor had cried out as the energy had been drained from him. He hadn’t heard it but he’d seen it, felt it. “He’s safe now, thanks to you as well, and there’s nothing that makes me happier. It’s a gift to see him smile so much.” He stayed silent for a long while as they walked through the halls of the base until they reached the wing with the prepared rooms. “Faela I... thank you. Thank you for helping us and thank you especially for being there for Lotor. He loves you very much.”

"It was the least I could do," Faela assured him with a soft smile. "He's like family to me, which means you are now too." She reached out a hand toward Sendak's right arm in a reassuring touch. "And even if you weren't Lotor's soulmate, letting you go was the right thing to do. I had to do something, at least, especially since I feel at least a little responsible for your suffering — I sent that team with Lotor on that mission, and I feel in hindsight that I should have seen the potential trust issues there." She frowned with regret, but then she shook her head and smiled again. "It puts me at ease to see that you're happy too."

Sendak smiled at her, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He gave her a quick but loving hug. He didn’t know how to express his feelings in that moment and he hoped she understood. “I’m very glad to have met you,” he said. They arrived at the door to her prepared room soon after and Sendak pointed it out to her. “You must be tired. The others’ rooms are right next door and Lotor and I are in Lotor’s old room which is close by, as I’m sure you know. Let us know if you need anything.”

"Thank you. I'll see you in the morning." Faela smiled one more time, and then she slipped through the door and let it close behind her, leaving Sendak alone in the corridor.

Sendak turned back towards his and Lotor’s room, still smiling from the heartwarming conversation. Of course Lotor’s love and approval were all he really needed, but it was nice to hear that Faela liked him. He entered their living space half expecting Lotor to be there already but when he didn’t see him, he realized Lotor was probably still caught up with Luka and Merla. He sat down and waited for him.

It wasn't much longer before Lotor came in. He looked tired, but there was a small, contented smile on his face that brightened as he looked at Sendak. He flopped down on the bed, sprawled out across the blanket. "That all went so much better than I could have hoped." After sighing contentedly, he gave Sendak a look of curiosity. "Did Faela say anything in particular to you?"

Sendak began lovingly running his fingers through Lotor’s hair. “She... thanked me for making you happy and taking care of you.” He smiled, thinking of Faela’s words. “She said you were like family to her and that that made me family as well.” He leaned down and left a small peck on Lotor’s forehead. “I hugged her,” he added a little sheepishly.

Lotor's expression softened into one of pure fondness. "I'm glad you two are getting along well. Honestly, I half-expected her to give you the 'if you hurt him...' talk, but she must have known, like I do, that you never could."

Sendak smiled back and kissed Lotor sweetly, continuing a small trail of kisses down his jaw. “You’re both very right,” he said softly. He pulled back and cupped Lotor’s face with his hands. “I love you.” He’d never get tired of saying it.

Lotor wrapped his arms around Sendak and pulled him closer until they were pressed together chest-to-chest, Lotor's favorite position to cuddle in. "I love you too, my husband."

Sendak continued to run his fingers through Lotor’s silky hair as he left kisses on every part of his face he could reach. “My husband,” he whispered reverently. He knew he’d never get tired of saying that either. “It’s been a long day, you should sleep, but you should probably change into something more comfortable first.” He toyed with the zipper on Lotor’s suit. “Or you could let me help you get into something more comfortable.”

Lotor hummed in acknowledgement. "Yes, I'd appreciate that." He guided Sendak's hand, which was still holding the zipper, downwards. Then he peeled the upper part of the suit off of himself. "Maybe I'll just sleep in underwear. I'll be warm enough with you in bed anyways." He smiled teasingly.

Sendak smiled back fondly and ran his hands over Lotor’s chest. He was still in awe of the prosthetic Lotor had designed, how he was able to feel the warmth of Lotor’s soft skin. He kissed the center of his chest and looked up again with a teasing smile to match Lotor’s. “I wouldn’t be opposed to that.” He pulled the suit over Lotor’s hips and all the way off, trailing kisses down Lotor’s legs. “Better?” he asked with a grin.

Lotor raised one eyebrow at him, looking pleasantly surprised and intrigued. "Better indeed, but I have to wonder about your intentions..." he teased. Then, more seriously, he said, "I thought you might be too tired after such a long day. Or..." The teasing smile returned, and he lowered his voice, _"Does it please you to hear me call you my husband?”_

Sendak’s grin widened. “Am I that transparent?” He leaned in and lowered his voice as well inches from Lotor’s face. “It pleases me to know that I’m _yours_ more than anything, but I do like the _husband_ part even more than I thought I would.” He matched Lotor’s seriousness from earlier for a moment. “If you’re tired... honestly I was just planning to hold you and kiss you anyway but you _are_ incredibly irresistible.” He gave Lotor a soft kiss. “I wouldn’t be opposed to more.”

"Mmmm..." Lotor mirrored his smile as he ran his hand up Sendak's side. "I find you very irresistible too. Being with you always gives me more energy in more ways than one." His smile turned into more of a smirk. "Besides, it's been too long since I've let you lay back while I took care of you, hasn't it? Or did you have something else in mind?"

Sendak's ears flicked in surprise. He hadn't expected Lotor to offer to do anything like that right now, especially since he'd mentioned being tired before. He matched Lotor's smirk after a moment. "That sounds like a lovely idea," he said and gently kissed Lotor's cheek.

Lotor took hold of the zipper on Sendak's suit, tugging it down slowly and sensually. "You've earned it. You take such good care of me, and I want to return the favor." He pressed kisses to the newly-exposed skin as the suit slowly opened up.

Sendak’s smile became fond as he stroked the back of Lotor’s head and pressed a kiss to the top of it. He peeled off the upper suit, bunching it up around his waist. Holding Lotor, he turned them around, leaving Lotor on top of him. He grinned up at him and kissed him again.

Lotor pressed eagerly into the kiss for a long moment, but then he pulled back with a lighthearted laugh. "Now, now, don't distract me," he chided jokingly. "Where was I?" He started the trail of kisses all over again from Sendak's jaw down to his hips, slowing down only when he reached the top of where the suit hadn't been pulled down yet.

Sendak chuckled and pulled the suit further down, quickly managing to kick it off, leaving him in his underwear. He cupped Lotor’s jaw for a moment. “You’re equally distracting, love,” he said softly.

"Good," Lotor purred, though there was something soft behind his eyes. "I'd hate to think you'd gotten bored of me already." The words were playful, and there was a warmth through their bond and in his smile that spoke of confidence and security. He then slipped his fingers under the waistband and started inching it down as he pressed kisses to Sendak's groin. Soon, he eased Sendak's cock out and pressed a kiss to the tip while stroking slowly.

Sendak closed his eyes and released a quiet moan. Lotor’s touch felt incredible. He knew exactly what he was doing, and Sendak fisted his hands in the sheets to keep himself grounded. _“Fuck,_ baby,” he whispered but didn’t dare move.

Lotor's eyes flicked up to meet Sendak's, and he looked very smug and pleased with himself as he wrapped his lips tightly around the very tip and sucked. His hands, meanwhile, wrapped more firmly around the length, and he started stroking it hand-over-hand in long, slow strokes from the base up to his lips so that he always had at least one hand on it.

It took all of Sendak’s concentration to keep himself from bucking his hips upward. Lotor was far too good at pressing his buttons and he could feel his pleased smugness through the bond as a low groan escaped him. His hand found its way to Lotor’s head and he made a fist in his hair, pulling slightly, the way he knew Lotor would enjoy.

Lotor lowered his head down Sendak's length, pulling against his grip in his hair, and moaned around the sensitive skin. He kept stroking, but each motion was shorter than the last as he slowly took more and more into his mouth. It was only on occasion that Lotor tried to swallow _all_ of Sendak's generously sized cock, but he seemed to be aiming for that now as the tip hit the back of his throat and he swallowed around it.

Sendak threw his head back and moaned. “Lotor,” he said desperately. He could barely think beyond the feeling of Lotor’s mouth around his cock. He wasn’t even sure what he was asking for.

As Lotor swallowed, he eased the tip down his throat (and he had probably tapped into his shapeshifting to make it easier, but it only felt more amazing for the effort). He pulled back after a moment, popping off the end to take a few deep breaths, but then he swallowed it right back down, finally managing to get all of it into his mouth right down to where his lips wrapped around the base.

Sendak felt like he was burning up. The way Lotor’s mouth felt around him left him unable to form thoughts. He gasped loudly. “Lotor, I’m gonna—“ he cut himself off with a moan as he spilled down Lotor’s throat, unable to stop himself.

Lotor held tightly to Sendak's hips as he swallowed down the cum. He continued to swallow until Sendak was completely spent, then eased the softening cock out of his throat before gasping for air. He flopped down on the bed next to Sendak, panting heavily but still managing to look quite smug. "Enjoyed yourself?" he quipped despite his breathlessness.

Sendak needed a moment to catch his breath before smiling weakly at Lotor. He pulled him close and kissed him passionately. “You’re a menace,” he whispered against Lotor’s skin. “That was fantastic, baby. I’d love to return the favor.”

"You deserve the best," Lotor said, both a soft and smug. He gave Sendak another kiss. "If you want to do something for me, I won't say no."

Sendak smirked and playfully squeezed Lotor’s ass. He stroked Lotor’s side with one hand, holding the back of his head with the other and leaving light kisses on his skin. His hand eventually found it’s way to Lotor’s cock, palming it gently. Sendak studied Lotor’s face for the smallest reactions, more than happy to just look at him, as he pressed down a little more firmly over his underwear.

Lotor's lips parted as a small groan escaped from them. He closed his eyes, and his moans painted a clear picture of how much he was enjoying the treatment. "Mmm, love..."

Sendak kissed him, swallowing up the little sounds Lotor was making. He toyed with the hem of Lotor’s underwear, and after a few more ticks of listening to the soft sounds coming from his throat he wrapped his hand around Lotor’s cock, stroking slowly. He pulled back slightly, their lips still so close they were nearly touching. “You’re so pretty like this,” he whispered, stroking Lotor thoroughly.

Lotor held onto Sendak's shoulders. He bucked his hips, trying to thrust into Sendak's hand. "More," he pleaded, tightening his grip on Sendak's shoulders.

Sendak left another soft and sweet kiss on Lotor’s lips. “As you wish,” he whispered and tightened his grip, stroking faster and more firmly. “I love seeing you like this,” he added. “You’re beautiful and perfect and _mine_. And I’m yours.” He continued moving his hand over Lotor’s cock and watching his reactions closely. He was so sensitive and responsive, it was a privilege to be able to watch him.

_"Yours,"_ Lotor echoed. His expression was full of need, with his eyebrows drawn together and his lips parted. His eyelids fluttered as he tried to meet Sendak's gaze for a moment, but then he groaned and his eyes closed again. The irregular motions of his hips started to smooth out into a steady rhythm that matched Sendak's strokes.

“Hush, baby, I’ll take care of you,” he said softly and smoothed his hand over Lotor’s hair, drawing him in for another kiss and speeding up his movements. “You’re mine,” he said between kisses, pouring the love he felt for Lotor into the words. He moved down to kiss his neck, gently pressing his lips to the supple skin, only to instantly return to Lotor’s lips to swallow up the beautiful sounds he was making. “And I’m yours, _devoti.”_ He picked up his pace further, aiming to make Lotor cum so that he could watch him fall apart and lose himself in the pleasure.

Lotor moaned even louder into Sendak's mouth, and his nails dug into his shoulders. His whole body tensed up, and then a shudder ran through him as he came into Sendak's hand. Then, he snuggled into Sendak's chest and relaxed. "Thank you, love."

Sendak nuzzled the top of Lotor’s head and embraced him. “The pleasure was mine, love,” he said quietly, still unwilling to disturb the intimacy of the moment. “I love the sounds you make and the way your face shifts when you let go for me, baby. You’re unbearably pretty, it shouldn’t be allowed.”

Lotor buried his face into Sendak's chest, but the tip of his ear was still visible and turning quite red. "You can't just say things like that," he mumbled into Sendak's fur. "Not fair." But it was easy to tell — at least by the bond — that he was quite pleased with the praise.

Sendak released a small chuckle and held Lotor tighter, kissing the top of his head lovingly. “I’m not allowed to tell my _husband_ how pretty he is? That seems rather unfair as well, wouldn’t you think? Especially since I can tell how much he loves it.” He paused for a moment, combing his claws through Lotor’s hair. “I think you’re the most beautiful creature in the universe and I’m the luckiest person that exists because in moments like this, I get to keep you all to myself.”

Lotor chuckled and pulled back enough to meet Sendak's gaze. "I love you too. You're so handsome and caring and strong, and I think _you_ are the most amazing person in the universe." He tilted his head up to kiss Sendak on the lips. "And I think _I_ must be the lucky one to have you as my soulmate and my husband."

Sendak kissed Lotor’s marks before bringing their foreheads together and making a sound between a purr and a pleased sigh. “It seems we both agree that our husbands are wonderful,” he teased. “We should never try to brag about our fantastic husbands to each other, I fear that we’ll try to outdo each other for eternity.” Sendak smiled and brushed his lips over Lotor’s. “I’ll be right back, I’ll get you cleaned up,” he said softly and kissed Lotor properly before pulling back and heading to the bathroom to wash his hand. He returned with a warm washcloth and carefully cleaned Lotor off before discarding it and wrapping Lotor fully in his arms. “Now where were we... ah yes, my husband is incredible. He’s so small and looks so delicate but he can beat me in a fight and he’s the strongest person I know.”

Lotor laughed and playfully nipped at the side of Sendak's neck, catching a mouthful of nothing but fur. "Didn't you _just_ say that we shouldn't start this up right now? We'll be up all night if I have to list every single remarkable quality about my handsome and beefy yet remarkably gentle husband." He cupped the side of Sendak's face in his palm and leaned in, lips hovering a mere inch from Sendak's. "I almost wonder if you're just trying to get me to shut you up, hmm?"

Sendak smirked. “I would never!” he said in mock-offense. “I just think that my genius soulmate deserves to know how amazing he is.” He remained close enough to Lotor’s lips that a minuscule movement would’ve brought them together, looking at Lotor expectantly.

Grinning, Lotor closed the distance, lightly kissing Sendak's lips as well as possible while smiling. "If there's any fairness in the universe," he said softly with his lips still brushing against Sendak's, "then I suppose I must be pretty great to deserve someone like you."

Sendak kissed him back and then nipped playfully at Lotor’s jawline. “You’re not supposed to _win,”_ he said with a smirk, but his ears flicked slightly and he felt his face flush. He laughed and kissed his soulmate deeply. “It’s not allowed.”

"What, I'm _not_ supposed to agree with you?" Lotor's smile turned mischievous as he pushed Sendak onto his back and pinned him down. "What part am I not supposed to 'win' on, exactly? The part where I'm pretty great, or the part where you're absolutely amazing?"

Sendak laughed softly, letting Lotor pin him down and placing his hands on his hips. “You know exactly what you did, you devious little monster. Now I can’t insist I have the better husband without implying that you aren’t amazing, exactly like you planned.” He smiled brightly. He loved these moments where they could tease each other, all seriousness gone from their conversation. He looked into Lotor’s eyes, their deep blue almost violet, and was overcome with a fresh wave of tenderness. He raised his hand to Lotor’s face, gently cupping his jaw and running his thumb over Lotor’s cheekbone.

Lotor grinned, though his smile softened as he met Sendak's gaze. "I think you're wonderful, and because I think you're so very wonderful, I also believe that you tell me the truth. If you're telling the truth, I must be more amazing than I thought, so really, we both win." He settled in and relaxed on top of Sendak, treating him like a comfortable bed.

Sendak began stroking Lotor’s back with both of his hands. “I suppose that’s true,” he said, and he knew Lotor could feel his voice in his chest. He loved the way Lotor was so much smaller than him much more than he cared to admit. He loved picking him up and holding him and he loved moments like this, where he could simply wrap his arms around him and keep him safe. Sendak settled back against the sheets and began caressing Lotor’s hair in a way he knew Lotor found relaxing. “Getting comfortable?” he asked. He meant to say it with more mischief but he could hear his true feelings slip into the words. Lotor was just too... cute like this.

"Mmhmm." Lotor readjusted himself a little so that his head rested on Sendak's pec, but then he settled right down again. He traced his fingers over the opposite pec, threading them into and out of the purple fur. For a moment, he changed the color of his skin to match, and he chuckled a little, but then he changed back to his usual brown skintone. 

"It's nice, feeling so relaxed and safe," he said idly. "I like not feeling like I need to constantly conserve my powers, or like I need to look over my shoulder." He'd gotten gradually more relaxed about using his abilities freely and for fun since they'd moved into the base. He was still careful to not run out of power just in case, but he was far more willing now to use enough power to make his marks light up again for Sendak's enjoyment, or to shapeshift like he just had purely for the amusement of it.

Sendak smiled and ran his fingers cross the expanse of Lotor’s back, marveling at the way Lotor could change the color of his skin with a thought. “I love seeing you this way, so calm and happy, and I love it when you use your abilities for fun. They’re a part of you and every time you use them it’s like... like you’re happy with yourself and like you love what you can do. And I love seeing you so happy. And you’re so cute when you turn yourself purple and then giggle about it.” He pressed a kiss to the top of Lotor’s head. “It’s adorable.”

Lotor laughed in delight and reached up to gently boop Sendak's nose. "It's always easier when I'm with you. Having your energy resonating with mine... it's so nice." He placed his hand over the center of Sendak's chest, and a soft glow appeared where Lotor's skin touched his fur. There was a sensation of warmth and comfort and harmony and _rightness._ Keeping his hand on Sendak's chest, Lotor looked up to meet his gaze again. "If there's one thing I definitely look forward to about having an official wedding ceremony, it's the crystals we'll exchange and keep afterwards. I know you want a more Galra-like ceremony and I agree, but I do insist that we should have the crystal exchange that's a part of soulmate weddings in Altean culture. The crystal I'll give you will be filled with my energy, and you can wear it over your heart like this—" He nodded to where his hand laid on Sendak's chest and exchanged energy with him. "—and feel my energy with you all the time."

Sendak placed his hand over Lotor’s and closed his eyes, feeling the way their energies interacted. It was one of the best things he’d ever felt, like peace and warmth and safety wrapped together. He looked at Lotor again, finding him still looking at him as well. “That sounds lovely,” he said softly and smiled at his soulmate. “But how will we get my energy into a crystal? I don’t have any _abilities_ but I still want you to have me with you, Starlight, always.” He placed his own hand over Lotor’s chest, matching the way he was touching him.

Lotor moved his hand to place it over Sendak's hand, then resumed the energy exchange. "Like this," he said simply. "If you hold the empty crystal, I can put an excess of my own energy into you and then draw the overflow of energy into the crystal, carrying mostly your energy into it. If too much of my own is in there, I can draw out a little to leave yours less diluted, but since our energies are perfectly harmonized, it won't hurt to have them mixed."

Sendak placed his hand on Lotor’s cheek and traced his lips with his thumb. “That’s incredible,” he whispered. Drawing Lotor up slightly he wrapped his arms around him and began rubbing his cheek against Lotor’s in what was a very instinctual and affectionate gesture. It had something to do with mingling their scents, but Sendak mostly enjoyed the closeness of it.

Lotor started purring gently as he nuzzled Sendak in return. He was very relaxed, and soon his purrs were interrupted by a yawn. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to fall asleep soon," he mumbled.

Sendak smiled and answered Lotor’s purr with one of his own. He pulled the sheets over them both and held Lotor close. “Sleep, love. I’ll hold you,” he whispered gently. “I love you.”

Lotor pressed a kiss to Sendak's cheek and then settled in completely. "I love you too." His purrs harmonized with Sendak's until they faded as he fell asleep.

Sendak watched Lotor for a little while longer, until his calm breathing made him pass out as well, still holding him close.


	13. Chapter 13

Sendak walked through the door to Lotor’s engineering hangar, done with his duties for the day. In the centuries that had passed since they moved into the base, it had expanded significantly, always full of ships and machines and other complicated looking projects. Their organization had grown since then as well and now Lotor had others working with him, although Sendak knew he still preferred to do everything himself. 

He was standing in the middle of the chaos that surely only he knew how to properly navigate, pouring over what looked like a spread of blueprints. Sendak came up behind him and kissed the back of his head. “I knew I’d find you here, my love,” he said softly. Lotor had a tendency to focus on his work and forget the flow of time around him so Sendak had made it a habit to get him when he’d finished his own work. “What’s that?” He motioned at the blueprints.

Lotor turned a little to slip an arm around Sendak's waist. "Hello, darling." He gave him a warm smile. "I was experimenting with a few designs based off of the data we have on Voltron. If we could create machines with even a fraction of that power, they would make for a great defense for our base and the haven." He pointed out one of the more completed sketches, which showed a lean, bipedal robot. It didn't look much like Voltron aside from the general shape, but it did look like something that would mean business.

Sendak smiled and pressed a kiss to Lotor’s cheek. “That looks incredible,” he said, wrapping his arm around Lotor and studying the prints. He was broken out of the moment by a harsh beep from his wrist, signaling that his presence was needed somewhere. Frowning, he tapped at the datapad his bracer was equipped with. “It’s Kolivan,” he said in explanation. “He needs us in the control room.”

Lotor sighed and turned off the digital worktable, making the blueprints on it disappear. "I suppose it must be something major if he's insisting that we both come." He tried and failed to tuck his forever-stray lock of hair into his braided bun — since they'd started using the hooded and masked suits a while back, he'd started keeping his hair pinned up to make it easier to pull his hood over it — and then turned towards the door. 

They walked out hand-in-hand, an ordinary sight here on the secure base. In the halls, they passed several Galra agents, who were easily recognized by the lines of their suits being lit up with purple Quintessence. There were also a couple of Alteans with Alchemical-blue lines instead, both to store energy for them and to mark them as healers and support. Lotor and Sendak were the only ones with their unique shade that was a blend of the two, since Lotor's power had started to shift to that blended color after he'd been with Sendak for a while. Their crystal pendants they'd exchanged at their wedding were the same color, showing how their energies had attuned to each other. 

The control room wasn't too far, and soon they came onto the bridge to find Kolivan standing at the communication panel. He looked up as they entered. "Remember what Ulaz told us about contacting Voltron?" he asked, straight to the point as always. How could they have forgotten? Ulaz was still in a cryopod, recovering from where they'd had to extract him from a partially-collapsed pocket dimension. Lotor had adjusted the pocket dimension technology provided to them to include a failsafe made possible only by Altean Alchemical energy, but the device was still absolutely not meant to be used in the way Ulaz had used it. He'd been suspended in the partially-collapsed pocket for a while, and the healers were still trying to undo its effects on him.

Sendak exchanged a worried glance with Lotor and then looked back at Kolivan. “Yes,” he said, frowning. “Why? What happened?” He glanced at the screens in front of Kolivan and saw what looked like an immense ship approaching the base, hailing them. He cursed under his breath. “Is that...?” It looked like Voltron’s mobile base of operations from what their reports had described. They could’ve dragged all manner of imperial ships after them. They weren’t exactly known for being inconspicuous. Sendak cursed again. “Any other ships on the sensors? Do you think they were followed?”

"So far, there are no signs that they were followed," Kolivan reported, though he didn't exactly sound confident in that assessment. 

Lotor, looking a couple shades paler than his usual tone of brown, stepped up to the console and examined the visual feeds and other scanner readouts more closely. "Gods of Altea..." He took a deep breath in and out. "I suppose this was inevitable. I _had_ hoped to meet them and to try to coordinate our efforts with theirs, just..."

“...not like this,” Sendak finished for him. “It looks like that decision has been made for us.” There was nothing to do now except brace themselves and see where this would lead them. Sendak tucked Lotor’s stray lock of hair behind his ear, leaving a peck on his cheek for luck, and pulled his hood up. When he drew back, the mask materialized in front of Lotor’s face. He did the same, obscuring himself as well and nodded at Kolivan to do the same. “Answer the hail,” he directed and stood up a little straighter, putting a little distance between himself and Lotor. There was no way of knowing who would be on the other end of that screen and they needed all the safety they could get, which mostly meant they should give away as little information as possible about themselves.

Kolivan pulled his hood up as well and materialized his own mask before opening the channel. Immediately, the visual link showed what had to be the bridge of the enormous ship. There were seven figures present, which matched Ulaz's brief update during his time in contact with them before his nearly fatal self-sacrifice. One matched the description for the Champion Ulaz had helped escape. Of the two Alteans, one was clearly the Princess, whom Thace had seen in passing during her brief capture. As for the other occupants of the bridge, Ulaz's update report had been too incomplete to be of much use in identifying them.

Sendak clasped his hands behind his back and raised his chin. “Paladins of Voltron,” he said in greeting.

The princess raised her chin and her lips tightened into a thin line. “It appears you know who we are, it is only fair that you should introduce yourselves as well. We were given this location by your... associate, but we don’t know anything beyond the limited information he gave us.” She looked at him suspiciously.

It was to be expected, he supposed, but he felt a twinge of resentment at the blatant disregard of Ulaz’ sacrifice. They still didn’t know the true extent of the damage he had suffered, even though the healers were doing the best they could. He took a deep breath, grounding himself. “It would be quite a feat not to have heard of you by now. Nevertheless, we are the Blade of Marmora.”

The Champion stepped forward, and his expression was more open, lacking the suspicion of the Princess's. "My name is Shiro. I'm the Paladin of the Black Lion." He then introduced everyone else in the room one at a time before looking at the screen expectantly. 

"Thank you for introducing yourselves," Lotor said.

The paladins exchanged looks, and the one who'd been introduced as Lance asked, "Aren't you going to introduce yourselves?" 

"Our names and individual identities are irrelevant," Kolivan said firmly. "We have the authority to represent the Blade of Marmora. That is all you need to know."

The princess stepped forward once more, still looking displeased with the situation. “Why will you not show us your faces? We are allies in this war, are we not?” 

Sendak was lightly taken aback. “We are not allies yet and thus we do not trust you enough to reveal ourselves. However if you wish to forge an alliance, we are open for discussion.” 

The Red Paladin suddenly stepped forward with an uneasy expression on his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something, presenting it to them. “Do you know what this is?” he asked and there was something like nervousness in his voice. He held up a luxite blade, distinctly engraved with Marmora’s sigil. 

Sendak paused and leaned forward. “Where did you get that?” he asked, though he had a suspicion. Each blade was fashioned to suit its wearer and this one seemed familiar enough. 

“I’ve had it as long as I’ve known,” the Red Paladin, Keith, said, as if he was ready to defend his position. 

Sendak resisted the urge to look at Lotor for guidance and stood up straighter instead. They wanted to speak with these people either way so they might as well do it now. “You may come aboard,” he said to the red Paladin. “As well as the Black Paladin and the princess. We will discuss how to proceed and we will see if we can answer the question that blade poses. Is that agreeable to you?” 

The princess seemed like she was about to interject but the Red Paladin was quicker. “Yes,” he said, full of determination.

The Black Paladin also nodded assent. "We'll come. How do we get there?"

Lotor stepped forward and started using the computer console. "I'm sending you a route to the base now. Take care to follow it quickly. The computer has to constantly recalculate the safest route, and no path remains viable for more than a couple of vargas."

"Understood."

As Lotor stepped back away from the console, Kolivan said, "If that is all, we will go prepare for your arrival."

The princess didn’t look pleased with this decision but nodded as well. “Thank you,” she said, her voice strained. She turned away and then the screen went dark.

Sendak pulled off his hood, his mask disappearing immediately, and released a shaky breath. “Looks like we’ll be meeting the Paladins shortly,” he said and glanced at Lotor. “You know who that blade belongs to, right?” He had an idea but he had to be sure, and Lotor knew all the blades they had forged perfectly.

Lotor pulled down his hood as well, revealing his grim and thoughtful expression. "Yes, I think that must be Krolia's blade. It seems this must be the half-human son she mentioned."

Kolivan frowned. He'd initially been a little less than understanding when Krolia had finally admitted what had kept her on earth so long, and now he seemed to still be somewhat troubled about this development. "We can't know for sure. This paladin could've stolen the blade from Krolia's mate. We should test him to see if the blade responds to him and to determine his abilities and intent."

Sendak shared eye contact with Kolivan and sighed. “He is barely past childhood and a Paladin. I will not make him suffer more than he already has. We will speak with them first. If the Paladin wishes to join us he may attempt the trials, but for now we will answer his questions after Lotor gets a read on his energy. We will not greet them with knowledge or death.” He turned to look at Lotor and stepped closer to him, taking his hands. “Do you think you could determine if he’s Krolia’s son?”

Lotor hummed, considering it. "If he has connected to the blade, I could detect that bond. If he has not, there'd be no way short of a blood test to prove that he _isn't_ hers, but hopefully it won't come to that."

Kolivan seemed placated by that answer. "I suppose that will suffice. I'll prepare the hangar for their landing. I presume they'll come in one of the Lions." He pulled up the communicator on his arm as he turned to leave the room.

Lotor shifted his weight and frowned, and Sendak could feel that he was rather uneasy, perhaps even nervous.

Sendak nodded at Kolivan. “We’ll be right with you,” he said as he left and then he focused back on Lotor, squeezing his hands. He had gotten exceptionally well-versed in Lotor’s emotions since the beginning of their relationship and he knew immediately that there was something amiss with him. Sendak cupped his cheek and pulled him closer. “What’s wrong, love?”

"I have some concerns," Lotor said slowly. "I sincerely want this to work out well. I want to be able to work together with Voltron. But we..." He huffed. "We have our way of doing things, whereas Voltron so far has not been... _subtle."_

Sendak brushes his lips over Lotor’s cheek and squeezed his hands in reassurance. “We’ll see if we can work with them. We won’t change our ways for them, even if they happen to have the most powerful weapon in the universe. Who knows, perhaps we can even change their strategy to something less... destructive. They seem to come from a place of inexperience.”

"Perhaps." Lotor was clearly still worried about something. He was quiet for a moment before venturing, "The Princess... I don't know where she's been hiding or how none of us ever found her in any of our searches for other survivors. I don't know how she might react to— to the haven, to finding out there are other Alteans, to how _different_ the haven is from Altea? The Haven is a republic, but the older members of it remember Altea and the royal family. I..." Lotor shook his head. "I'm not making much sense, am I? I'm not sure what to think. I'm just concerned."

Sendak drew Lotor closer and wrapped his arms around his frame, stroking his back gently. “I know, darling,” he said softly. “This is all very confusing. I don’t know where she was all these centuries but I think... maybe she’ll just be happy that other Alteans survived, even if they no longer follow a royal family as rulers.” He drew back slightly but was unable to resist leaving a kiss on Lotor’s forehead before looking at him. “I think it’ll help for her to see this place, where our people work together to end both our suffering. It’ll help to meet _you.”_

Some of the tension started to ease out of Lotor. "You're right. I think I'm more concerned about how _they_ might react to _her,_ but... well, on the whole, they're happy. Few would want the political upset, and even if some insisted on treating her as royalty, it would be easy enough to make her a figurehead without any real power."

Sendak smiled at him. “That’s right. If it proves to be an issue I’m sure it’ll come down to the Alteans and they won’t want their way of life changed after so long. Whatever the case, we will face that issue if it comes up.” He cupped Lotor’s jaw. “You shouldn’t worry so much. You can’t solve every problem yourself and you don’t have to.” He smirked at his husband trying to ease his worry further. “Besides, Merla would probably bite her head off if something like that happened.”

Lotor cracked a smile with a quiet chuckle. "I'm sure she would, and Faela would certainly have something to say about it, too." 

Over the intervening centuries, only Faela and Merla had stayed on the council. Aedificor had been swiftly replaced, Paeanor had eventually retired from council work to focus exclusively on the House of Healing, and Consi stepped down as well for reasons of their own. Faela was starting to show her age and to joke about retirement, but she wasn't slowing down yet. 

After taking a deep breath, Lotor stepped away and nodded toward the door. "Well, shall we go? I'd like to get Luka to come meet the Princess."

Sendak smiled at him and took his hand. “Let’s go get her, then,” he said. “Lead the way, love,” he said softly after pressing a kiss to Lotor’s cheek. They made their way to the medbay where Luka was currently working. She divided her time between the base and the haven these days, and it was always nice when she was here. He smiled when he saw her and waved at her.

Luka smiled and waved back at him. "Hey there! What's going on?" 

Lotor motioned her over. "Voltron is here. Two of the paladins and the Princess are coming to the base to see what we do and to try to find a way to work together. You're our best combat healer, so I want you to come with us to greet them." 

"Really? Oh, stars above!" Luka laughed breathlessly, clearly shocked. "Yeah, uh, sure. Let's go meet them."

Sendak smiled again, this time at Luka. “Masks up later when we meet with them. We still don’t know how much we can trust them and it’ll be best to keep ourselves safe that way,” he said quickly, so that he wouldn’t forget to inform her later. As they began walking in the general direction of the hangar he squeezed Lotor’s hand and leaned down to kiss him lightly. It was one of his favorite things to do and sometimes he couldn’t help himself. He turned back to Luka. “How is Ulaz holding up?” he asked. He hoped the healers would make some progress but so far not much had changed. However Luka might have good news for him. She was an incredibly gifted healer, after all.

Luka made a so-so gesture. "He's _better,_ but he's not _good_ yet. If I had a better understanding of what even happened to him, I'd go ahead and turn up the settings on the pod and let it finish healing him, but I'm really trying to play it safe and heal him very slowly so we can monitor him." 

"He is the first to ever survive something like this," Lotor agreed. "Trying to heal him is as much a scientific experiment in reversing quantum effects on organic cells as it is a medical effort." 

"Yeah, pretty much. I was worried at first that _more_ Alchemical magic might make things worse after we pulled him out of what was basically a cocoon of pure magic. He's responding well to treatment so far, but I don't want to overwhelm him."

Sendak nodded in understanding. “That sounds reasonable. Thank you, Luka, that’s good to hear,” he said. He was glad that Luka was here for this. They needed an experienced healer for Ulaz and he couldn’t have thought of someone better than Luka, especially since she was familiar with Galra physiology. 

They arrived in the large hangar shortly, seeing Kolivan already standing there and frowning at his datapad. “Everything alright?” Sendak asked. “Are they close?”

"Very. The Red Lion should be landing shortly." Kolivan pointed to the sensor map on his pad, where a symbol indicating an unfamiliar ship was rapidly approaching. A few more rebels came into the hangar, all Galra and all masked. They lined up behind the three leaders, looking rather intimidating. Lotor glanced at them and then at Luka. "Stand back with them for now. I'll motion you forward at the right moment." 

She nodded and pulled her hood up. "Yes sir." She stepped back and fell into the middle of the line, right behind the leaders. Proximity indicators lit up at the entrance to the hangar. Lotor immediately pulled his hood up and materialized his mask, and Kolivan was only a moment behind him. Sendak squared his shoulders and followed their example. 

The red lion was large but a lot smaller than Sendak thought it would be after so many years of hearing stories about it. It looked more nimble than he’d thought, and he struggled to believe how only five of these machines could wipe out entire fleets. The lion lowered its head and opened its mouth to release its passengers. The black paladin stepped out first, followed by the princess and finally the red paladin. The lion closed its maw and sat up as they approached. 

“Princess,” Sendak said in greeting when they stopped in front of them. “Black Paladin. Red Paladin. The Blade welcomes you.” They all nodded in acknowledgment. He looked at the red paladin, Keith, directly. “You came looking for answers and we will give them to you once we are assured validity of your claims.” He gestured to Lotor beside him. “We will perform a simple examination of your quintessence and that of the blade you carry, to determine if you may wield it.” 

The princess frowned at Lotor suspiciously at the mention of quintessence but didn’t say anything. The red paladin’s determination only seemed to increase. “I came here for answers, I’m not leaving without them. I’ll do it.” 

Sendak gestured for Lotor to move forward. It felt strange to give him silent orders like this. They were equals in power, but they had noticed that negotiations went a lot better with Sendak striking an imposing figure and a clear structure of command, even if it wasn’t the true way they did things.

Lotor stepped forward and took the blade from the paladin before taking one of the paladin's hands in his own. A lavender glow emanated from both hands, and the lines of Lotor's suit shone brighter for a moment. "The energies are one and the same, and the blade is indeed the one we thought it to be," Lotor confirmed. The glow faded, and he handed the blade back to the paladin.

Sendak nodded once but before he could say anything, the princess drew a sharp breath. “That’s... impossible,” she said in a near-whisper. “You—you’re not Galra.” Her eyes were wide and fixed on Lotor, on the hand that had stopped glowing mere ticks ago. “You’re _Altean.”_ She sounded like she didn’t think it was true. 

A hush fell over the room as everyone froze at the princess’ claims. Sendak resisted the urge to step in front of Lotor to shield him. He didn’t know what the princess would do, but he doubted she’d hurt Lotor.

"You're... half right," Lotor admitted, dropping his mask. "I _am_ Galra, but I'm also Altean." He pulled his hood down, giving the shocked newcomers a good look at his face. "I've never known who my parents were, but I must have been born around the same time the war broke out. A Galra nurse gave me to a group of Altean refugees."

The princess stood frozen, studying Lotor’s face. Her mouth opened and tears gathered in her eyes at Lotor’s words. “Refugees?” she whispered. She took a stumbling step towards Lotor, as if she hadn’t intended to. “Are there more Alteans still alive? I thought... the Galra had hunted them all down.” She blinked and tears fell from her eyes. “How? How did you survive?”

Lotor turned around and nodded to Luka, who stepped forward and unmasked herself as well. "We lived in small clusters for a long time, always careful to not have too many of us in one place," she told the princess. 

"The first time we all gathered together into one place was this very base." Lotor motioned around them. "Now, the Altean population has moved to an even more secure location, but we have a few like Luka here supporting the rebellion. Travel to the Altean haven is risky, but when you do have a chance to go, Princess, you will see that there are still thousands of us who have survived and are now thriving in secret away from the rest of the universe."

The princess looked between the two of them, as if she was unable to believe it. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before taking another careful step towards Lotor, as if she thought he’d disappear before her eyes. She released a breath and some of the stiffness left her frame as she looked back up at Lotor. “I’d love to see it someday,” she said. “Thank you.” 

The tension seemed to leave the room in an instant and Sendak nodded at Kolivan as he took off his own hood. The princess straightened as she looked at him and looked between the Alteans and the Galra Blade members. “Is this... an alliance?” She directed her question to Lotor, which Sendak didn’t mind. She seemed a lot more comfortable now.

Lotor smiled warmly at the princess. "Yes. Sendak and Kolivan are good men who turned against the empire to help me escape when I was captured, and since then, we've recruited Galra and Alteans alike who want to fight against the empire however our tiny force can." 

"Every Galra aboard this base believes that the empire needs to be stopped and to be changed back into what it was before Zarkon or into something new," Kolivan added, addressing all three representatives of Voltron. "Every single one of our operatives is tested rigorously to ensure there are no spies or traitors amongst our ranks. You can trust that anyone who carries our blade believes in justice."

Sendak smiled at the way Lotor’s words rang with pride and he placed a hand on his back. There was no point in keeping their relationship a secret. They didn’t have to be obvious about it but there was no need to hide it either. Sendak took the blade from Lotor’s hand and held it up to get a better look at it before walking over to the red paladin and handing it back. “Your mother is one of our agents. She has been with us nearly from the start and although she’s undercover right now I’m sure that she’d be happy to see you when the time comes.” 

The paladin took the knife from his outstretched palm, looking awed. “She’s alive,” he said quietly, mostly to himself, it seemed. “I’m— I have so many questions about her and... about _me.”_

Sendak smiled warmly at him. It was clear he was barely past childhood, especially for a Galra. He’d likely never met a Galra that hadn’t tried to kill him besides Ulaz. “We’ll do our best to answer what we can.” He turned to the rest of the assembled agents and guests. “We should go sit down somewhere to discuss the terms of a possible alliance.” 

The princess nodded. “Yes, I believe that would be wise.” 

Sendak made his way back to Lotor and gestured towards the door leading inside the base proper. He walked next to him, leading the others through the halls. “Well, we’re not done yet but that went a lot better than I thought it would.” He made sure to speak quietly enough to not be overheard by the others.

"It did." Lotor's smile was bright and full of relief. "I think we have a very good chance of being able to work with them." Behind them, Luka greeted Allura again and began describing the haven to her, answering all questions the princess raised about it. The two of them seemed to be getting along very well already. 

The Black Paladin stepped up a few paces, drawing close enough to speak to Sendak and Lotor. "I wanted to ask about Ulaz. He said he'd be okay, but—" 

"He's alive," Lotor quickly reassured him. "We're keeping him in a medically-induced coma while he recovers, but Luka says he is responding well to treatment." 

Stopping suddenly, the paladin turned his head away, taking a moment before he turned back towards Lotor and Sendak. "I thought he was dead. Oh god, I'm so glad he survived. Can I see him?"

Sendak inclined his head. “Certainly, but he probably won’t wake up for a while yet. It would be best to speak of what an alliance would entail first and then you can visit him. I’m sure Luka can brief you on his medical state better than either of us could.” He resisted the urge to grab his husband’s hand. If he was being honest Lotor could probably make a fairly educated assessment even though he wasn’t a trained healer. He studied the Black Paladin for a moment. He seemed to be wearing a Galra prosthetic, likely left over from his time in the arena. “Ulaz spoke highly of you,” he said. “He was very adamant on saving you from the arena.”

The paladin swallowed visibly, and his voice was a little strained as he replied, "He's a good man. I owe him my life. If he'd died—" He tightened his hands into fists as he blinked rapidly, shaking his head before continuing, "I hope he makes a full recovery soon." 

"He most likely will." Lotor's voice was calming. "As risky of an endeavor as that was, it was worth it to keep Voltron safe. We need you if we're going to take down the empire once and for all." 

"Right." Shiro nodded, looking a little more composed now.

Sendak led them to one of the briefing rooms they used for their missions. Kolivan, Lotor, and him were the only necessary representatives of the Blade, so he dismissed the others. “Luka,” he said quietly once most of the Blades had left to return to their duties. “If you want to, you can return to the med bay, but we’d like to have you here to represent the Alteans, if that would be possible.”

Luka nodded. "Sure, I'll stick around. I've got a pretty good idea of what Merla would want to say if she were here. I'll speak on her behalf." She assumed a place next to Lotor, forming a loose line with Sendak and Kolivan. The three Voltron representatives stood across from them, and the Black Paladin spoke first, looking to Sendak. "Can you tell me more about your operations?"

Sendak nodded in affirmation. “At first we were simply raiding the empire’s supply lines to keep ourselves alive as the Alteans had before us, until a few representatives of the council contacted us to propose an alliance. We’ve been supplying the haven with many essential supplies for centuries now and the Altean healers and pilots have saved countless lives during our operations.” He couldn’t help smiling at Lotor, remembering the way he had flown them both out of a swarm of fighter ships a long time ago, expertly carving through them. “We’ve since expanded into a large network of spies all across the empire, tracking fleet movements and supply routes and gathering intelligence.” 

The princess raised her voice again. “Why haven’t you stopped them? It seems you’re in a position to tear them down, why haven’t you?” 

Sendak paused, shocked into silence. “We’re not in any position to have a Kral Zera, and as long as we can’t be sure we’d win one, we will not plunge the universe into further chaos.” 

The princess looked like she hadn’t quite understood him and it occurred to him that perhaps they hadn’t considered the consequences of killing a tyrant like Zarkon.

"Our numbers are also much smaller than this vast base suggests," Lotor added. "This base was originally a home for the Altean population, so it had to hold thousands. Our own little force fills less than 10% of that. We simply don't have the numbers for a large-scale attack." 

"We focus primarily on recruitment," Kolivan added. "Even so, with how many rebels we have lost and continue to lose in our efforts to save what we can from the empire, our numbers are growing very slowly."

The princess thinned her lips into a line, seemingly displeased with the answer, but didn’t say anything more. Sendak didn’t mind. She was new to this war as a whole, the possession of a super weapon did not immediately make a person wise. 

Sendak cleared his throat and addressed the Black Paladin again. “We have to ask: what is your plan of action to free the universe from Zarkon’s control? And, more importantly, what is your plan for the aftermath? We’d like to compare your ideas with ours and see if Voltron could aid in any of the necessary actions.”

The princess squared her shoulders and raised her head but didn’t speak.

The Black Paladin looked uncomfortable and uncertain. "We are still working out what exactly we would do. Our primary focus for now is on freeing enslaved planets, which has worked out well so far. We haven't targeted planets with heavy colonization, ones with a Galra civilian population. I know those will be more difficult to sort out how best to free them without displacing a bunch of civilians who had no say in the war. It would be a long and hard process to send them all back to the Galra's native planet, wherever that is." 

"The Galra don't have a home planet anymore," Kolivan said grimly. "Its destruction began the war that led to this conquest. Even so, there are too many Galra to confine us even to the handful of planets we already had before Zarkon's reign." 

"No home?" The paladin looked surprised. "That'll make it harder. Still, at the very least, we can free all of the enslaved planets right away and work with the native people and Galra civilians of colonized planets and help them work together to sort out government and ownership." 

Lotor frowned. "You'll run into trade issues very quickly. I'm surprised you haven't had problems with that already. The empire takes from its enslaved planets, but it also provides for them. Natural trade will take a while to establish itself, and if there isn't _something_ in place to regulate and protect legal trade, piracy will take over."

Sendak nodded. “The empire is a well-oiled machine with complex logistics keeping the universe’s population alive. Not all inhabited planets possess the ability to provide the resources necessary for life, those rely completely on established trade routes and supply lines the empire manages. If you _free_ planets from Galra control those necessary resources stop finding their way to these planets, leaving them to die a slow death. Not to mention how vulnerable they are to outside threats and attacks. The empire made sure to forbid colonized populations from having weapons, so they would be defenseless if someone tried to take the planet for themselves. You’ll be replacing one tyrant with another. Have you left the planets you’ve freed with the means to defend themselves?” 

It was the princess who spoke this time. “We’ve left then all communication devices to contact us with for support in case anything like that ever happens.” She looked pleased with herself, as if it was a solution to the problems at hand.

_"Just_ a communication device?" Lotor sounded highly dubious. "What if you're on the other side of the universe and in the middle of freeing another planet? What are they supposed to do in the meantime?" 

The Black Paladin's expression went back to being uncertain. "We have Olkarion on our side now, and they're acting as a central hub for the new Coalition we're building. They'd do their best to support a planet that we couldn't help."

Sendak paused. “You’ve managed to secure an alliance with the Olkari?” he asked. The Blade had made their efforts before, trying to get them to join them in the fight against the empire. The Olkari’s technology would’ve significantly advanced their efforts but they had insisted that it was too risky for centuries. If they were willing to help now that would mean a significant leap in the right direction. 

“Yes. We’ve freed their planet from Galra control,” the princess supplied. “They were more than happy to help.” 

Sendak doubted that but he wasn’t about to say it. “That’s excellent news. The Olkari can build defenses for the other planets you’ve freed so far. You have to tell them to begin immediately, otherwise you risk losing what you’ve tried to build.”

The Black Paladin nodded. "We'll continue to work with them on that, and with you all, I hope." 

"We don't have the numbers to mount a defense," Kolivan told him firmly. 

"If you put us in contact with Olkarion," Lotor suggested, "I can advise them on how they could defend themselves and others. Perhaps I could even provide them with some Altean technology." 

"Sure." The Black Paladin nodded. "Any bit will help."

Sendak nodded. “Agreed. I believe this has been a rather productive meeting so far. We should consult each other from now on. Our intelligence network would be useful for larger operations and I’m sure we could use your help occasionally. For now we should focus on protecting the freed planets. That is, of course, if you wish to seal this alliance.” He inclined his head and took a step back to let them decide amongst themselves. The princess and Krolia’s son instantly converged on the Black Paladin and began speaking in hushed tones and Sendak turned back to Lotor, Kolivan, and Luka. “Do you think this alliance would be... good for us?” he asked them quietly. He was fairly certain that it would do more good than harm but he wanted to be sure. He trusted their judgement and he wanted to be sure of their approval before cementing an alliance. He took Lotor’s hand and squeezed it gently, uncaring if the paladins saw at this point.

Lotor squeezed Sendak's hand back, and a flicker of a smile passed over his otherwise troubled expression. "I still have some concerns about their long-term goals. The Black Paladin all but admitted that they haven't thought beyond freeing colonies. This could be a good thing if they're content to let us do what we've decided we would do, but it could just as easily be a problem down the line." 

"I think they'd be easy enough to persuade." Luka shrugged. "If they don't have a clear idea, they'll be open to suggestions, right? I think we should work with them. They seem friendly and capable enough, and we could definitely use the help. Besides, they're going to keep doing what they're doing. If we don't work with them, we're just going to get in each other's way." 

"Unfortunately, I agree with the last part of Luka's assessment," Kolivan said. "I fear they might be as much of a burden as a help, but they would be even more of a burden if we had to work around them instead of with them."

Sendak released a long breath. “I fear you’re right. This is probably the best option.” He inched a little closer to Lotor, almost subconsciously. He always felt better when he was close to him. “We should speak to Krolia’s son separately. Perhaps it would be best if you did,” he said, looking at Kolivan. “You know her best, you’d know what she’d say if she were here, but if you’d rather have me speak with him I will, I just believe we should answer the questions he has about his mother and his heritage.” 

Kolivan nodded. "I will talk to him and answer his questions. At the soonest opportunity, I will also contact Krolia." 

Sendak squeezed Lotor’s hand again, looking at him now. “Do you think you’ll be able to provide them with plans for defenses once you have access to Olkari technology?” He couldn’t imagine that designing defense systems for entire planets would be easy but if anyone could do it, it was Lotor.

"Definitely." Lotor's voice conveyed confidence. "I can adapt existing designs to be more compatible with their technology." He turned to Luka. "I should also send some back with you next time you go home. I'm sure the researchers in the haven would enjoy having Olkari technology to study and work with." 

Luka shrugged. "Sounds good to me. I can carry a few extra boxes, or maybe I'll make Tavo or someone else do it."

Sendak raised Lotor’s hand to his lips and pressed a small kiss to the back. “Sounds like a plan,” he said and turned back to the paladins who seemed to finish at that moment as well. “Have you made your decision?” he asked them. 

“Yes,” the princess supplied. “We agree that an alliance would be... beneficial.” 

Sendak was glad it hadn’t taken more convincing. The more time he spent here, the more he realized he could instead be having a nice evening with his husband. “Good,” he said. “We’ve come to the same conclusion. We’ll work better together than around each other and we could help you build defenses and organize your resources into something that will help end this war. You should provide us with Olkari technology as quickly as possible so that Lotor can get started on plans and we can redistribute it as well to the Alteans. Luka will be taking care of that.” Normally he wouldn’t have told them the plans of giving the Alteans their resources but in this case Sendak thought that it would get the princess to approve faster. Judging by the gleam in her eyes it was true. 

He looked at the Red Paladin. “Keith, was it?” The boy nodded quietly, standing at attention. “Kolivan here will answer your questions about your mother. Privately if you so desire. He knows her best out of all of us.” 

Keith nodded, wide-eyed. “Thank you.” 

Sendak focused his gaze back on the Black Paladin. “We believe it would be best if you would contact us before attempting any more major attacks in the empire. We know the workings of it better than you do and we have experienced strategists both here and among the Altean populace. Does this sound agreeable to you?”

"We can do that. I'm sure Pidge would want to compare maps and notes with you all, too. She's been doing a great job on her own of gathering data, but it would lighten the load on her if we could get all of your information to work with as well." 

"I can send you back with a datachip with updated maps," Lotor said easily. "Thank you." 

The Black Paladin nodded to Lotor, then extended a hand to Sendak along with a small but sincere smile. "I look forward to working with you."

Sendak grasped his hand and shook it firmly. “I do as well.” He realized he did. Perhaps he wasn’t looking forward to the concept of Voltron working with them but he thought he might like the Black Paladin, as well as Krolia’s son. He returned his attention to Lotor for a moment. “Do you have a datachip ready for them or do you need to prepare one?” he asked. “I know you probably wouldn’t want them in your lab either way, right?” he added quietly.

"I'll have to go get one." Lotor glanced at the group, then looked back to Sendak. "Do you want to keep them busy, or do you want to come with me?"

Sendak smiled. “You know what I _want._ It's a manner of what I _can_ do. Although...” he glanced over at their guests. “I suppose the Red Paladin will be occupied with Kolivan for a while and the Black Paladin wanted to see Ulaz.” Sendak looked at Luka and gave her a conspiratorial smile. “Do you think you could also take the princess with you? I have to speak with my husband. Urgently.” His smile turned into a teasing grin.

Luka snickered. "I think I can manage. Go ahead." She then turned and quite effortlessly engaged both the princess and the paladin in conversation by offering to take them to the medical wing. 

Lotor took Sendak's hand and smiled. "Excellent idea, _devoti."_

Sendak pulled him into a chaste kiss. “I have my moments,” he said, still smiling. If their show of affection had turned any heads Sendak didn’t know or care in that moment. “Lead the way,” he said and squeezed Lotor’s hand, already moving towards the door himself.

They walked out hand-in-hand, making their way together to the communications room with the central computer. Lotor put a few commands into it, and a loading bar popped up. "Alright, it's uploading all of our non-classified data to a chip now. This might take a little while." He turned to face Sendak, looping his arms around the back of his neck and smiling up at him. "This is all going remarkably well, don't you think?"

Sendak couldn’t resist leaning down for a kiss, not when his husband was looking at him like that. “Yes, it’s quite remarkable. The princess was a lot more taken with the fact that other Alteans had survived than I thought she’d be. I suppose I thought she’d at least suspected that some had survived the destruction of Altea but she looked completely surprised.” He scooped Lotor up and sat down in the chair in front of the console, placing him in his lap and kissing his little purple marks. “But yes, it went astonishingly well. It almost makes me nervous for what’s to come.”

Lotor gave him a lopsided smile. "I feel the same way. I'm hopeful and nervous all at once. The idea that soon this might all be finally, _finally_ over after so long... it's so incredible that I'm not sure what to feel." He moved his hands to cup the sides of Sendak's face. "I think it's finally coming down to now or never. The tide is turning."

Sendak kissed the tip of Lotor’s nose and hugged him closer. “It feels strange, after so long. I hoped we’d end it some day but I was beginning to think it wouldn’t happen in our lifetime. Now... imagine all the good we could do for the universe if we managed to successfully remove Zarkon and secure power at the Kral Zera. It’ll take work, a lot of it, but... we will have peace after lifetimes of war.” The thought of it was almost too good to consider.

"We will." Lotor stroked Sendak's cheekbones with his thumbs. "Peace and freedom. Once you and Kolivan have taken control and have started converting the empire into a republic as planned, we could finally move the Alteans to a new planet outside of the Quantum Abyss and let them rejoin the rest of the universe. Both of my— _our_ peoples, really, finally living in peace side-by-side..." He sighed happily.

Sendak pressed his forehead against Lotor’s, simply enjoying his presence. “Everything we’ve worked for finally paying off. I think... it might be nice to find a planet for both Galra and Alteans alike.” They’d been close allies in the past. It was only fitting that they’d find peace together after both their planets had been destroyed. Perhaps not immediately after the end of the war but some day... Sendak threaded a hand through Lotor’s hair. “What do you think you’ll make when you don’t have to build planet defenses and fighter ships?”

Lotor hummed thoughtfully. "Well, good ships will always be in demand. I'll just have more room for luxury features if I don't have to streamline them and optimize them for fighting." The computer system emitted a small chime, and Lotor groaned before leaning into Sendak _more_ instead of moving to get up. "Five more doboshes," he muttered, burying his face in Sendak's neck. "They probably won't be ready to leave yet anyways."

Sendak made no move to get up either, pulling Lotor closer and releasing a warm chuckle instead. “You’re probably right,” he said softly and rubbed his cheek against Lotor’s affectionately. “I’m sure the princess will speak with Luka for longer, we have time. Besides, they interrupted our time together, we deserve to take a moment.”

Lotor nuzzled his neck and settled in more. "Exactly. Just a little bit longer. Then we'll go send them on their way." He pressed a gentle, unhurried kiss into Sendak's fur. "I love you."

Sendak tucked the stray lock of hair behind Lotor’s ear, smiling. He kissed the corner of his mouth and then his lips. “I love you too. So much. I can’t believe we’re so close to ending this.”

"Neither can I." Lotor smiled and stroked Sendak's crest of longer fur. "What comes next might very well be the hardest part, but we'll get through it together, and then everyone will be free."

“Maybe after the empire is stable and the council is established we could settle down somewhere. Maybe on a planet. I’ve never lived on a planet before, not really. You can have a big workshop for all your projects and at night we can watch the stars.” He kissed Lotor again and smirked. “And I’ll be your trophy husband.”

Lotor laughed and then put on a mock-confused expression. "Now wait a moment, I thought _I_ was going to be the trophy husband." He smiled again with such hope and joy, more than Sendak had seen since the day of their wedding. "A planet would be lovely. We can have a house, and maybe a few pets, and we can lay out on the ground and look up at the stars and breathe real, fresh air. We'll build a new life together. A peaceful life."

Sendak smiled back, looking at Lotor with love and pure affection. “A peaceful life,” he repeated, contemplating it. “That sounds very nice.” He pressed another playful kiss to Lotor’s cheek. “But just so we’re clear: I’m the trophy husband. Everyone will realize you’re the most brilliant engineer in the universe, praising your work and I’ll hang on your arm and try to look handsome,” he said, his smile brightening with each word. “It’s been too long since I was just _‘Lotor’s husband’.”_

"You always look handsome." Lotor caressed Sendak's face, running slender fingers over his cheekbones and jawline. "And you are _always_ my husband." He kissed Sendak's cheek. "As for being recognized as an engineering expert, well, if that _does_ happen, then I'm sure right when you become absolutely sick of the politics of trying to sort out the new Galra republic, Merla will make good on her promise to _make_ me take up the position of the Altean council representative for engineering and architecture."

Sendak smiled fondly and closed his eyes, leaning into the soft touches. “I know, it’s just... I wish we didn’t have so many things to worry about, sometimes.” He sighed but hugged Lotor closer and kissed him. “I love you,” he whispered, as if it was a secret.

"I'd rather be safe and have some politics to sort out," Lotor admitted. "I'd rather know that I _can_ come home every night and find you happy and healthy and uninjured." He kissed Sendak again. "I love you too."

“I know. I agree.“ He shifted in the seat and leaned back a bit, holding Lotor in a more comfortable position. He stroked his hair absently, simply happy to have him so close. “No matter what, we’ll be together. That’s all that matters.” He smiled, nuzzling the side of Lotor’s face. “Look at us, planning our retirement. We’ve gotten old.”

Lotor chuckled. "Perhaps we have. We've been at this for a long time. I'm looking forward to finishing this and finally taking some well-deserved rest." He nuzzled Sendak in return. "Just you and me."

Sendak felt his chest contract with a fresh wave of affection. Even after all this time, Lotor still made him feel this way. He kissed the tip of his nose playfully before capturing his lips in a deep kiss. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.” He knew they should be getting up but he didn’t want to let go of Lotor just yet. “I keep thinking about how happy I am that I met you. I’d do it all again for what we have.” He kissed more parts of Lotor’s face, unable to resist the temptation. He just looked too cute. “Do you think Kolivan will scold us for sneaking off like teenagers?” he asked with a wide smile.

"I think he's given up on trying to get us to comply with any sort of discipline." Lotor mirrored his smile, grinning right back at Sendak. "He knows we're just absolutely insufferable like this." He looked over at the computer with a bit of regret. "Unfortunately, we probably _should_ go back soon..."

Sendak made a displeased sound but sighed and picked Lotor up, standing. “You’re right, unfortunately, as always.” He kissed him again before setting him down gently. He loved that Lotor was the perfect size for him to carry around without much effort. It was one of his favorite things to do.

"Think about it this way: the sooner we send Voltron on their way, the sooner we can go back to enjoying our evening." Lotor removed the new datachip from the computer console and started heading back towards the conference room. "I know Kolivan will want to start making moves right away, but I think we could all use a night to process before we do anything drastic. The paladins should talk among themselves, Luka needs time to contact Merla and Faela, and I'm sure Kolivan will inform everyone here what is going on. That leaves our evening free. Then tomorrow, we can start on whatever we need to do."

Sendak took Lotor’s hand again and smiled. “My husband is, as always, a genius,” he said. When they arrived back at the conference room the others were already there. Kolivan and the Red Paladin remained in deep conversation about something and the Black Paladin seemed to have joined them. The princess was smiling at Luka as she likely told her about the haven. Sendak cleared his throat to announce their presence, earning a mildly disapproving glance from Kolivan in their direction. He put a hand on Lotor’s back and decided to let him explain what he’d put on the chip.

Lotor held up the chip. "This contains updated map information as well as other intel about the empire and what goes on within it. This should be helpful to you, especially in our future combined efforts." He handed it over to the Black Paladin. "We need to have the same information in order to coordinate attacks, after all." 

The Black Paladin accepted the chip and tucked it away into a little storage compartment in his armor. "Thank you. I'll give this to Pidge as soon as we get back."

Sendak looked at them all. “I believe it would be best if we all took a day to process and talk with our allies about any new information. We must contact the Alteans to inform them about our new alliance and I’m sure you have your own allies to contact. You should return to your ship and tomorrow we will decide our next steps.” 

“Yes, I believe that would be a good idea,” the princess said. It was the first time she’d addressed Sendak directly since the very start in the hangar. She then clasped Luka’s hands and thanked her.

Luka smiled back brightly at her, and the two said their goodbyes. Meanwhile, Kolivan reassured the Red Paladin that he would contact his mother as soon as she had finished her current undercover mission, though he warned him that might take some time. Though it hadn't really taken that long at all, Sendak could sense Lotor's impatience by the time the representatives of Voltron were back in the Red Lion and ready to take off. Luka cited her need to contact her sister and dismissed herself, leaving the three rebel leaders alone in the hangar. Kolivan turned to Sendak and Lotor. "We should discuss—"

"Tomorrow," Lotor interrupted. "There's no point until Luka receives word back from Merla and Faela anyways."

Sendak nodded. "We should sleep on this and inform the rest of the Blade tomorrow as well. There's much to be discussed but it won't do any good without involving the Alteans, as this concerns them as well and we will need all the help we can get. The paladins will need some time to discuss this as well and contact their allies. Tonight we can gather our thoughts." He placed a hand on Kolivan's shoulder and smiled. "Take some time off tonight, and tomorrow we begin."

Kolivan looked as though he was about to argue, but then he nodded and stepped back. "As you wish. I will go find Antok and start bringing the rest of our upper ranks up to speed on this." With that, he turned and strode out. 

Lotor shook his head. "That man wouldn't know how to take a break if his life depended on it."

Sendak sighed as he took Lotor’s hand and began tugging him in the direction of their quarters. “He never has. I wonder if we’ll get him to take a break once this is over. Maybe we’ll invite him over for dinner. It’s a good thing that you’re not like this, although...” He contemplated how Lotor got when he focused on his work. “Perhaps that’s only because I’m able to throw you over my shoulder and carry you to bed when you’ve been working for too long.”

"Or perhaps it's merely because you are far more distracting than my work." Lotor smirked as he walked beside Sendak, adjusting his walking pace to match Sendak's with the ease of centuries of practice. "All you have to do is suggest cuddles and suddenly my concentration is completely shot."

Sendak’s smile brightened and his heart sped up with joy at Lotor’s words. He loved him so much. He was the most wonderful person Sendak had ever met. His soulmate. His love. Sendak scooped him up with practiced ease, not even slowing his pace as he placed an arm under Lotor’s knees and one around his shoulders. He kissed him softly. “Might I suggest cuddles, then?”

Lotor laughed, almost giggling in delight. "Cuddles are _always_ a welcome suggestion." He nuzzled Sendak's neck, burying his face in the tufts of fur above his collar. They passed a few agents, drawing a few knowing smiles and friendly nods. No one was surprised — even the few who had never witnessed a _korpar_ bond and the physical affection that usually came with it had quickly become used to seeing Sendak and Lotor's casual displays.

Sendak nodded back as he passed them. He loved how easy it was for them to show affection here, how everyone understood. When he entered their rooms he sat down on the bed with Lotor still in his arms and began kissing him. “What do you want to do tonight?” he asked, whispering into Lotor’s ear. “I can hold you and kiss you and we can go look out at the stars.” He emphasized his words with another kiss. “We can just stay here together and cuddle. The only request I have is that I want you close, love.”

Lotor closed his eyes and sighed, melting into Sendak's touch. "Tell me more about what we'll do after we win." He opened his eyes again and looked up into Sendak's gaze. There was a seriousness, a hint of the sober reality they were facing in Lotor's blue eyes, and his voice reflected the same in its tone. "Tomorrow, we start a new phase of this war, the beginning of the end one way or another. Starting tomorrow, we'll have to be realistic about this and make plans and contingencies with the worst in mind." He clung to Sendak, and his little claws dug into the thick fur on Sendak's back. "Just for tonight, I want to indulge in pure optimism. I want to try to forget the odds and what we're up against. Tell me, love, what we'll do when we're free and how all our hard work will be worthwhile in the end."

Sendak smiled at Lotor with a hint of sadness. He knew that Lotor was right, they might not make it... He banished those thoughts as soon as they surfaced. They would succeed, he knew it. There was no other option. “When we win at the Kral Zera after deposing Zarkon we will establish a council to rule the empire. The Alteans will be able to come out of hiding and help the Galra rebuild, just as they have helped us resist all this time. We’ll build on the ashes of Zarkon’s tyranny, and we will restore the universe to the freedom it once had while keeping the imperial infrastructure that keeps so many planets alive, just as we’ve planned.” He knew he was simply repeating their plans back to Lotor but he wanted to reassure him that they’d accomplish what they set out to do. “And then... when we’re done with all of that and we know it’ll be alright... we’ll go live on a planet together. We’ll have a nice house and we’ll get a cat and we’ll regularly have Merla and the others over for dinner and you will still design fantastic ships and I will probably still help with the council but it’ll be... nice. And maybe one day...when we don’t have to worry or look over our shoulders...” He kissed Lotor’s forehead softly. “Maybe, if we’re ready and if we want to... we could adopt a child. I don’t know if we’d want that at some point anyway but maybe we will and if that time comes I would be overjoyed to take that step with you.”

Lotor's eyes started to tear up, and he let out a shaky laugh. "A child? I think we should try just the cat for a while first and make sure we can at least keep one of those alive." He laughed a little more, but there was warmth in his smile and longing in his eyes and a profoundly _touched_ feeling through their bond. "But one day, perhaps..." He tilted his head up and caught Sendak's lips with his own in a gentle kiss. "I want that future with you more than anything," he whispered. His voice started to shake as he continued, "I'll fight for it. I'll do whatever it takes to get us there, together."

Sendak pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes. “Together,” he repeated, both a prayer and a promise. They would have their future together. “We will succeed. I know it.” He placed a hand over Lotor’s chest. “I feel it in here. I didn’t believe in fate before I met you but I think that maybe... we’re meant to succeed, just as we were meant for each other. I’ll fight for it too, with everything I have.”

"As long as you're certain, I will be as well." Lotor ran his hands over the sides of Sendak's face in a gentle caress. "No matter what, we _will_ be together, and we can face anything as long as we have each other."

Sendak drew Lotor in for a kiss and stroked his hair gently. It was nice this way, when Lotor had it up in a braided bun at the back of his head, but he wanted to run his fingers through the silky strands. He pulled back just enough to be able to see what he was doing and undid the bun expertly, combing out Lotor's hair with his claws. He nuzzled the side of Lotor's face and breathed in his scent. He smelled like home to him, like happiness and comfort and love. He took a deep breath before replying. "Yes. I'm with you. Always. Just as you are with me. We can do this, as long as we're together."

Lotor smiled and nuzzled Sendak in return. He kissed Sendak's cheek, then the corner of his mouth, then his lips. "I love you."

Sendak kissed him back with equal softness, lingering on his lips as he held him. “I love you too, Starlight,” he whispered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! This has been a fun ride, and we hope you've all enjoyed this too. We wanted to end with this extended epilogue just to show a little of how we envisioned this AU and how different it is from the show's canon, and we hope you've all enjoyed it.
> 
> We're going to take a couple of weeks off, but then we'll be posting another Lodak fic soon, so stay tuned! In the meantime, feedback is always welcome. We appreciate each and every comment, and your comments motivate us to keep posting these for you all to enjoy.


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